Oak  Street 
UNCLASSIFIED 


Volume  One  OCTOBER,  1914  Number  One 

Published  by  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College 
Issued  Quarterly 


BULLETIN  OF 


RANDOLPH  - MACON 
WOMANS  COLLEGE 


INAUGURATION  OF 


WILLIAM  ALEXANDER  WEBB 
AS  PRESIDENT 


Application  for  admission  as  second  Class  matter  made  October  1,  1914,  at  the  Posi 
Office,  College  Park,  Virginia,  under  Act  of  July  16,  1894. 


THE  INAUGURATION 


OF 

William  Alexander  Webb 

AS  PRESIDENT 


Randolph  - Macon 
Woman’s  College 

June  1st,  1914 


PUBLISHED  FOR  THE  COLLEGE 
LYNCHBURG,  VIRGINIA 


DULANEY-BOATWRIGHT  COMPANY 
College  Printing 
Lynchburg,  Virginia 


Table  of  Contents 


Page 


Inauguration  of  President  Webb  by  Meta  Glass,  Ph.  D.  5 

The  Inauguration  8 

Judge  E.  D.  Newman,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Presiding 

Invocation  Rev.  J.  B.  Dunn,  D.  D.  8 

Charge  to  the  Incoming  President, 

President  W.  P.  Few,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D.,  of  Trinity  College  9 

Inaugural  Address  14 

Address  of  Welcome  to  the  Guests  on  Behalf  of  the  Randolph-Macon 

System  President  R.  E.  Blackwell,  LL.  D.  25 

Greetings  from 

Johns  Hopkins  University  Dr.  J.  H.  Latane  27 

University  of  Virginia  Prof.  W.  M.  Forrest  29 

Barnard  College,  Columbia  University 

Dean  Virginia  C.  Gildersleeve,  Ph.  D.  32 

Vanderbilt  University 

Dr.  H.  M.  Henry,  of  Emory  and  Henry  College  34 
Central  College,  Missouri 

Dr.  II.  T.  Kerlin,  Ph.  D.,  of  the  Virginia  Military  Institute  37 

State  Department  of  Education Hon.  R.  C.  Stearnes,  A.  M.,  39 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
The  Patronizing  Conferences 

Rev.  F.  J.  Prettyman,  D.  D.,  Chaplain  United  States  Senate  42 

The  Methodist  Church  Bishop  Collins  Denny,  D.  D.  45 

Letters  of  Greetings  Read  by  Dr.  H.  C.  Lipscomb  48 

President  Woodrow  Wilson 

Hon.  David  F.  Houston,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Secretary  of  Agriculture 
Hon.  P.  P.  Claxton,  Litt.  D. 

Commissioner  of  Education 
Governor  Henry  C.  Stuart 
President  Ellen  F.  Pendleton,  Litt.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Of  Wellesley  College 
President  A.  Ross  Hill,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Of  the  University  of  Missouri 
Principal  George  Adam  Smith 

Aberdeen  University 


Greetings  from  52 

The  Faculty  Dean  N.  A.  Pattillo,  Ph.  D. 

The  Alumnae  Miss  Nellie  V.  Powell,  A.  M., 

President  of  the  Lynchburg  Chapter 

The  Students  Miss  Luella  Hefley, 

President  of  the  Student  Committee 
Benediction  Rev.  W.  T.  Palmer,  D.  D. 


Banquet  at  the  Virginian  Hotel 

Mr.  Edward  F.  Sheffey,  Toastmaster  55 

Prof.  J.  D.  M.  Armistead  55 

Professor  Marian  P.  Whitney  56 

Miss  Emma  Lear  58 

Professor  R.  H.  Hudnall  59 

Rev.  Ritchie  Ware  60 

Dr.  Harry  D.  Campbell  60 

Miss  Laura  Drake  Gill,  D.  C.  L 62 

Delegates  from  Other  Institutions  63 


PROGRAM 

OF  THE 

TWENTY-FIRST  COMMENCEMENT 

MAY  29th  to  JUNE  2d,  1914 


FRIDAY,  MAY  29th 

RIVER  DAY— Y.  M.  C.  A.  ISLAND 

3:30  p.  m. — Tennis  Tournament,  Tea 

6:30  p.  m. — A Pageant  of  Virginia  History. 

8;30  p.  m. — Open  Session  of  the  Franklin  and  Jefferson  Literary  Socie- 
ties, College  Chapel. 

SATURDAY,  MAY  30th 

CLASS  DAY 

10 :00  a.  m. — Class  Day  Exercises,  Campus. 

6:30  p.  m. — Class  Play,  Campus. 

SUNDAY,  MAY  31st 

11:00  a.  m. — Sermon  to  the  Graduating  Class, 

Bishop  Eugene  Russell  Hendrix,  LL.  D. 

6:30  p.  m. — Vespers, 

Bishop  Walter  R.  Lambuth,  D.  D. 

MONDAY,  JUNE  1st 

INAUGURATION  OF 

PRESIDENT  WILLIAM  ALEXANDER  WEBB 

9 :30  a.  m. — Assembly  of  Delegates  from  Educational  Institutions,  East 
Hall. 

10:00  A.  m. — Inauguration  of  President  William  Alexander  Webb,  Judge 
E.  D.  Newman,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Pre- 
siding, The  Chapel. 

3:00  p.  m. — Sophocles’  Electra,  Presented  by  the  Department  of  Greek, 
The  Campus. 

9:00  p.  m. — Reception,  The  Gymnasium. 

TUESDAY,  JUNE  2d 
COLLEGE  DAY 

10 :00  a.  m. — Address  to  the  Graduating  Class, 

Hon.  William  Robert  Webb,  Former  Senator  from  Ten- 
nessee, College  Chapel. 

Announcement  of  Certificates. 

Conferring  of  Degrees. 


Inauguration  of  President  Webb 

Meta  Glass,  Ph.  D. 

The  inauguration  of  William  Alexander  Webb,  as  President 
of  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College,  on  June  the  first,  was  the 
occasion  for  the  gathering  of  many  educators  and  for  the  utter- 
ance of  many  significant  facts  and  promises  for  woman’s  educa- 
tion, and  of  many  felicitations  to  Randolph-Macon  on  her  marked 
success  under  her  able  founder  and  guide,  the  late  William 
Waugh  Smith,  and  on  her  fair  prospects  under  the  guidance  of 
his  worthy  successor. 

The  inaugural  exercises  took  place  in  the  College  Chapel  at 
ten  o’clock  after  the  academic  procession  had  formed  at  East 
Hall  and  marched  across  the  campus,  where  many  spectators 
watched  the  line  marked  by  the  brilliancy  of  the  insignia  of 
various  degrees  and  schools.  Judge  E.  D.  Newman,  president 
of  the  board  of  trustees,  presided,  and  the  invocation  was  offered 
by  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Dunn,  D.  D.,  of  Saint  Paul’s  Episcopal  Church. 
President  W.  P.  Few,  of  Trinity  College,  delivered  the  charge 
to  the  incoming  president,  holding  before  him  the  ideals  that 
might  be  wrought  into  a college  by  the  inspiration  of  the  human- 
ities, and  something  of  the  joy  of  being  a college  president  that 
looms  even  above  the  responsibilities  of  such  a position. 

This  was  immediately  followed  by  the  inaugural  address. 

Since  the  Woman’s  College  is  one  of  the  system  of  colleges 
and  preparatory  schools  under  the  Randolph-Macon  trustees, 
President  R.  E.  Blackwell,  of  the  college  for  men  at  Ashland, 
delivered  some  words  of  welcome  in  behalf  of  the  other  institu- 
tions of  the  system,  telling  of  the  founding  of  the  academies  and 
of  the  Woman’s  College,  and  welcoming  the  friends  of  the 
college,  who  had  come  to  assist  in  installing  a man,  as  her  presi- 
dent, who  will  not  let  the  vision  that  his  predecessor  showed  the 
people  of  Virginia  fade,  but  will  make  the  people  of  Lynchburg 
realize  that  when  that  vision  fades  the  city  will  perish. 

There  were  greetings  from  Johns  Hopkins  University  borne 
by  Dr.  John  H.  Latane,  who  spoke  of  the  close  connection  and 


6 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


ready  co-operation  that  had  long  existed  between  Randolph- 
Macon  College  for  men  and  Johns  Hopkins,  of  the  many  Hop- 
kins men  that  are  upon  the  faculty  of  the  Woman’s  College,  and 
he  begged  to  remind  the  young  women  that  Johns  Hopkins  had 
recently  opened  her  doors  to  women  graduate  students,  and 
would  now  welcome  the  Randolph-Macon  girls  as  they  had  long 
welcomed  the  Randolph-Macon  boys.  Prof.  W.  M.  Forrest 
bore  the  cordial  good  wishes  and  greetings  of  the  University  of 
Virginia,  who  wished  to  give  all  honor  to  Randolph-Macon  for 
her  pioneer  work  for  the  higher  education  of  the  women  of 
Virginia,  at  a time  when  the  State  felt  that  she  could  not  provide 
for  them,  and  to  assure  the  College  of  unfailing  cordiality  and 
sisterly  feeling,  whatever  might  be  the  development  in  the  State’s 
action  with  regard  to  the  public  education  of  her  daughters. 

In  behalf  of  Barnard  College,  Columbia  University,  and 
the  women’s  colleges  of  the  north  in  general,  Dean  Virginia  C. 
Gildersleeve  tendered  greetings  and  congratulations.  Dr.  H.  M. 
Henry,  of  Emory  and  Henry  College,  bore  the  congratulations 
of  Vanderbilt  University,  the  alma  mater  of  President  Webb, 
and  Dr.  R.  T.  Kerlin,  of  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  an 
alumnus  of  Central  College,  whence  Dr.  Webb  came  to  Randolph- 
Macon,  commended  Virginia  for  seeking  her  college  presidents 
in  Missouri,  where  the  pioneers  on  their  way  west  had  estab- 
lished a college  or  university  on  every  available  site  not  occupied 
by  a church,  so  that  Missouri  had  become  a veritable  training 
school  for  college  presidents.  On  behalf  of  Central  College, 
Dr.  Kerlin  felt  obliged  to  speak  regretfully  of  the  occasion  that 
had  taken  Dr.  Webb  from  Missouri,  but  as  an  adopted  son  of 
Virginia  and  a fellow  educator  here,  he  rejoiced  at  the  good 
fortune  that  had  brought  Dr.  Webb  to  Randolph-Macon. 

In  behalf  of  the  State  Department  of  Education,  Hon.  R.  C. 
Stearnes  tendered  congratulations  and  good  wishes,  emphasizing 
the  oneness  of  aim  of  the  private  and  public  institutions  of  learn- 
ing in  the  state,  and  pledging  their  cordial  loyalty.  The  Rev. 
F.  J.  Prettyman,  Chaplain  of  the  United  States  Senate,  repre- 
senting the  Virginia  and  Baltimore  Conferences  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  spoke  of  the  sympathy  and  support  that  the  conferences 
had  given  Randolph-Macon  and  would  continue  to  give  her, 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


7 


looking  to  this  college  as  a center  from  which  there  should  go 
forth  the  finished  product  of  Christian  training.  He  was  fol- 
lowed by  Bishop  Collins  Denny,  as  a distinguished  representative 
of  the  church,  and  then  several  letters  of  greeting  were  read  from 
President  Woodrow  Wilson,  Hon.  P.  P.  Claxton,  Governor 
Henry  C.  Stuart,  President  Ellen  F.  Pendleton,  of  Wellesley 
College,  and  President  A.  Ross  Hill  of  the  University  of  Mis- 
souri. 

Representing  the  faculty,  Dean  N.  A.  Pattillo  pledged  their 
co-operation  in  the  high  plans  President  Webb  had  conceived, 
mentioning  as  a great  factor  in  the  College’s  success  the  keen 
personal  tone  of  the  relation  between  faculty  and  students,  in 
the  sincere  hope  that  this  might  always  characterize  the  College. 

Miss  Nellie  V.  Powell  brought  the  greetings  of  the  alumnae, 
greetings  saturated  with  loyalty  and  vitalized  with  hope  and 
confidence,  and  she  asked  of  the  College,  from  the  President, 
women  fitted  to  show  forth  the  eternal  feminine,  which  is  no 
crystallized  idea,  no  fossil  in  an  outworn  shell,  but  a living  con- 
ception, ever  varying  to  meet  the  needs  of  a changing  world,  an 
eternal  feminine,  whose  only  constant  is  the  power  to  perceive 
truth  and  to  live  it  with  unfaltering  fidelity.  From  the  student 
body,  Miss  Luella  Hefley,  President  of  the  Student  Committee, 
brought  a message  of  personal  love  and  trust,  from  the  students, 
and  high  hopes  for  all  that  they  desired  for  Alma  Mater. 

“God  bless  you,  Randolph-Macon,”  and  the  benediction  pro- 
nounced by  the  Rev.  W.  T.  Palmer  closed  the  inaugural  exercises. 

On  the  same  day  the  guests  of  the  college  were  invited  to  wit- 
ness the  “Electra”  of  Sophocles,  presented  by  the  Greek  depart- 
ment in  the  afternoon,  and  a dinner  for  the  guests  from  a dis- 
tance, followed  by  a reception  to  President  and  Mrs.  Webb  at 
night,  completed  the  festivities  of  this  interesting  occasion  in  the 
annals  of  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College. 


From  Christian  Advocate,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  June  19,  1914. 


THE  INAUGURATION 

IN  COLLEGE  CHAPEL 


JUDGE  E.  D.  NEWMAN 

President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Presiding 


Invocation 

Rev.  J.  B.  Dunn,  D.  D. 

Almighty  God,  the  Fountain  of  all  wisdom,  who  grantest  lib- 
erally to  all  that  ask  of  Thee,  we  beseech  Thee  to  grant  to  this, 
Thy  servant,  the  teaching  light  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit.  May  Thy 
guiding  hand  lead  him  through  the  coming  days ; may  the  breath 
of  that  mighty  Being  winnow  out  of  his  life  the  chaff  of  haste 
and  careless  thinking,  and  may  the  fruitage  of  careful  days  and 
patient  toil  furnish  the  bread  of  life  to  those  committed  to 
his  keeping,  and  choice  seed  for  planting  in  the  life  of  many 
far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  husbandman’s  daily  task.  Add  to  his 
weakness  Thy  strength,  and  give  to  him  Thy  choicest  gift — the 
power  to  be  the  master  of  his  strength.  May  justice,  sympathy, 
gentleness,  patience  and  truth  be  the  fingers  of  the  hand  he  lays 
upon  the  life  that  he  must  mould  into  the  full  statue  of  woman- 
hood. Strip  his  life  of  every  vanity,  and  teach  him  that  he  alone 
is  free  who  serves  the  truth.  May  Thy  approving  presence 
stand  sentinel  at  the  door  of  his  heart  and  his  mind,  to  guard  his 
loyalty,  and  keep  his  soul  informed. 

Through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  Amen. 


Charge  to  the  Incoming  President 

President  W.  P.  Few,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D., 
of  Trinity  College 

President  Webb,  you  have  already  been  tried  in  the  hard 
experiences  of  educational  administration.  I do  not  need,  there- 
fore, to  remind  you  of  the  tasks  that  make  up  the  responsibility 
of  the  office  which  you  are  this  day  formally  assuming.  My  own 
experience  in  the  same  sort  of  work  leads  me  to  emphasize  not 
so  much  the  hardships  as  the  inspiring  opportunities  that  await 
you.  For  the  business  of  education  is  an  inspiring  one.  Its 
supreme  function  is  nothing  less  than  to  keep  and  to  transmit, 
bettered  by  each  generation,  the  precious  heritage  of  truth  that 
comes  to  humanity  out  of  the  past. 

We  are  ourselves  living  in  a confused  age,  clamorous  with 
warring  voices;  and  it  is  unusually  difficult  for  education  to 
estimate  properly  our  inheritance  from  the  past  and  all  that  it 
holds  for  us.  We  are  threatened  with  confusion  of  mind  and 
consequent  loss  of  much  of  that  which  all  experience  has  proved 
to  be  highest  and  most  real  and  most  worth  while.  A half  cen- 
tury ago  one  of  the  most  promising  poets  of  his  generation  in 
England  abandoned  the  writing  of  poetry  and  gave  as  his  reason 
that  his  age  had  fallen  upon  a time  of  unsettlement  and  specu- 
lative thinking  that  fitted  it  for  analysis  and  criticism  rather  than 
for  creative  work  of  any  kind.  Eighteen  hundred  years  earlier 
the  foremost  prophet  of  the  Christian  centuries  had  sounded 
a note  of  warning  against  the  coming  of  confused  and  perilous 
times  when  men  would  be  ever  learning  and  never  able  to  come 
to  a knowledge  of  the  truth.  Was  Matthew  Arnold  right  in  his 
belief  that  a bustling  intellectualism,  keen  and  erudite  though  it 
be,  may  nevertheless  disturb  that  poise  and  silence  which  must 
precede  all  creation ; and  was  St.  Paul  right  in  his  inspired  intui- 
tion that  a man  may  learn  and  learn  and  yet  never  be  able  to  come 
to  a knowledge  of  the  truth;  and  are  there  any  indications  that 
we  have  fallen  upon  these  “last  times”  foreshadowed  in  the 
words  of  the  great  apostle  and  discerned  in  the  keen  analysis  of 
the  shrewd  English  critic? 


10 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


I have  no  railing  accusation  to  bring  against  our  age  as  com- 
pared with  other  ages.  Despite  frequent  lapses  and  despite  that 
turbid  ebb  and  flow  which  men  have  observed  in  all  human 
history,  I am  persuaded  that  the  main  stream  of  tendency  and 
taste  is  forward  and  onward  forever.  Yet  if  the  sons  of  Martha 
with  the  careful  soul  and  the  troubled  heart  may  be  so  cumbered 
about  much  serving  that  they  fail  to  choose  “that  good  part;”  if 
there  is  now  a peculiar  danger  that  the  mind  of  man  may  be  so 
careful  and  troubled  about  the  many  unessential  things  that  it  fails 
to  find  rest  in  ultimate  principles ; if,  in  short,  men  can  be  so  pre- 
occupied with  getting  facts  as  to  leave  them  no  leisure  to  seek 
the  truth,  then  this  circumstance  ought  to  be  brought  to  the 
attention  of  all  thoughtful  people,  especially  of  educational 
leaders,  who  like  you,  face  a time  of  seriousness  and  high  en- 
deavor, but  also  of  extraordinary  confusion. 

The  importance  of  keeping  clear  this  distinction  between  the 
essential  and  the  unessential,  between  truth  and  fact,  I shall 
seek  to  enforce  with  familiar  illustrations  that,  I hope,  will  be 
appropriate  to  an  occasion  like  this.  Perhaps  the  principle  can 
be  most  easily  illustrated  by  reference  to  well  known  pieces 
of  literature.  For  example,  Keats’s  sonnet  on  first  looking  into 
Chapman’s  Homer,  gives  a fine  expression  to  the  feeling  that  one 
has  when  one  really  learns  something  or  accomplishes  some- 
thing— the  feeling  of  “some  watcher  of  the  skies  when  a new 
planet  swims  into  his  ken and  this  is  one  of  the  noblest  English 
sonnets,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  poet  in  it  makes  “stout 
Cortez”  and  not  Balboa  the  discoverer  of  the  Pacific  Ocean : 

“Or  like  stout  Cortez  when  with  eagle  eyes 
He  stared  at  the  Pacific — and  all  his  men 
Looked  at  each  other  with  a wild  surmise — 

Silent,  upon  a peak  in  Darien.” 

We  have  no  better  example  than  these  lines  of  that  wonderful 
wizardry,  that  natural  magic,  which  characterizes  English  poetry 
at  it  highest.  And  yet,  to  a mind  of  a too  literal  bent,  this  histori- 
cal inaccuracy  would  ruin  the  effect  of  the  sonnet,  while  to  a sin- 
cere and  sensible  student  of  poetry  it  makes  the  least  possible  dif- 
ference. The  point  I wish  to  make  is  that  this  error  as  to  fact  does 
not  affect  the  truth  of  the  poem — its  truth  to  art  or  its  truth  to  life. 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


ii 


Again,  Hamlet  is  an  idealized  and  universalized  world  tragedy.  It 
may  not  be,  and  is  not,  true  to  the  facts  of  Danish  history  of  the 
twelfth  or  thirteenth  century.  The  scene  of  it,  as  Lowell  has 
said,  is  laid  in  a Denmark  that  has  no  dates.  But  it  embodies 
a phase  of  human  enterprise  that  will  always  be  true  to  human 
nature.  It  is  thereby  lifted  into  the  domain  of  the  universal ; and 
so  becomes  suggestive  and  interesting  to  men  of  all  generations. 
It  transcends  the  world  of  fact  and  reaches  up  into  that  of  uni- 
versal truth.  Those  who  have  the  best  to  say  naturally  have  the 
best  way  of  saying  it;  and  this  universal  truth  in  Hamlet  is 
expressed  in  a final,  felicitous,  adequate,  and  enduring  form. 
And  for  these  reasons  Hamlet  will  probably  stand  as  a master 
work  among  men  forever,  while  its  errors  of  fact  are  and  will 
be  only  matters  of  interest  to  the  curious  and  the  learned. 

So  too  the  Iliad  lies  beyond  the  ken  of  history.  But  it  dallies 
with  the  innocence  of  life  in  the  old  age  so  sincerely,  it  sees  with 
a plainness  so  near  and  flashing,  it  sets  forth  the  doings  of  men 
and  gods  on  the  sounding  plains  of  Troy  with  so  simple  a beauty 
and  so  much  fidelity  to  universal  experience  that  its  words  echo 
still.  The  Iliad  comes  to  us  out  of  a far,  forgotten  past,  and  is  an 
abiding  proof  of  the  triumph  of  universal  truth  over  historical 
fact.  Whether  there  be  knowledge  it  shall  pass  away.  It  is 
never  the  material  but  the  ideal  that  abides  and  commands. 

I am  not  seeking  to  lead  you  away  from  actuality.  All  great 
poetry  like  all  great  art,  like  great  deeds  and  great  characters, 
must  rest  upon  a true  view  of  life.  The  poet  must  see  life  truly, 
must  understand  himself  and  things  in  general,  must  have  a deep 
knowledge  of  life  as  it  is.  There  can  be  nothing  great  or  beauti- 
ful in  poetry  or  art  or  life  or  character  that  is  not  ultimately 
based  upon  the  truth. 

Beauty  is  truth,  truth  beauty — that  is  all 

Ye  know  on  earth,  and  all  ye  need  to  know. 

The  beautiful  includes  the  true,  it  is  the  true  made  perfect. 
This  ‘‘true  made  perfect”  is  what  great  poetry  everywhere  gives 
us ; and  it  is  with  the  purpose  to  find  this  rather  than  with  an  in- 
quisitorial yearning  for  facts  that  we  should  always  approach  the 
study  of  poetry. 


12 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


In  reading  literature  it  is  always  relevant  to  ask  “is  it  true?” 
but  often  impertinent  to  ask  “is  it  a fact?”  And  the  higher 
we  go  in  the  scale  of  values  the  more  earnestly  need  we  to  give 
heed  to  this  distinction.  In  the  parable  of  Lazarus  and  Dives, 
or  the  Book  of  Job,  it  is  of  course  a thousand  times  more  useful 
to  get  the  kernel  of  truth  they  contain  rather  than  to  enquire  if 
they  are  founded  in  actual  historical  circumstances.  Indeed, 
the  bane  of  Biblical  scholarship  today  is  just  this  centering  of  the 
main  interest  in  the  pursuit  of  facts ; in  the  study  of  sources,  the 
comparing  of  analogues,  and  the  indulgence  in  unsupported  in- 
ferences, to  the  neglect  of  the  fundamental  duty  to  find  the  plain 
meaning  of  the  Bible  and  to  partake  of  the  spiritual  vitality  and 
energy  that  beat  there  with  the  divine  pulse  of  its  original. 

These  are  but  illustrations;  the  same  sort  of  confusion  has 
been  at  work  in  the  field  of  modern  scholarship  in  general.  It 
grows  increasingly  difficult  to  master  facts  and  to  find  one’s  way 
to  the  truth.  A comparatively  small  body  of  truth  is  adequate 
for  the  guidance  of  any  man’s  life.  But  there  is  now  more  uncer- 
tainty as  to  what  these  truths  are.  There  results  a Babel  of 
warring  voices  and  universal  confusion  of  life.  The  details  of 
knowledge  have  become  so  extensive  that  it  requires  more  grasp 
of  mind  to  comprehend  them.  It  is  easier  to  be  a sort  of  expert 
in  a limited  field  of  knowledge,  but  more  difficult  to  be  a master 
of  one’s  subject.  The  college  therefore  has  increasing  difficulty 
in  finding  for  its  teachers  true  masters  of  learning,  men  of  ideas 
and  power  rather  than  technical  experts  in  the  several  branches 
of  scholarship. 

The  flux  of  ideas  regarding  true  educational  values  has  led 
to  a lack  of  solidarity  in  college  curricula  and  administration  that 
is  producing  a widespread  feeling,  whether  just  or  unjust,  that 
the  college  of  today  does  not  make  so  surely  for  moral  and  intel- 
lectual efficiency  as  did  the  college  of  other  days.  The  college 
has  certainly  in  some  ways  gained,  and  perhaps  in  others  it  has 
lost  ground.  The  old  curriculum  with  its  fixed  studies  and 
severe  disciplines  has  been  liberalized  and  enriched.  American 
colleges  have  grown  and  have  improved  their  facilities  for  edu- 
cation until,  in  the  matter  of  educational  opportunities,  the  best 
of  them  are  perhaps  unexcelled  in  the  world.  But  it  is  becoming 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


13 


increasingly  clear  that  it  is  not  enough  for  the  college  to  provide 
the  richest  of  opportunities  for  its  students,  and  then  uncon- 
cernedly leave  them  to  use  or  neglect  the  opportunities  as  they 
may  see  fit.  Ways  and  means  must  be  found  to  make  education 
take  effect.  The  educational  appliances  must  somehow  be  brought 
into  live  connection  with  undergraduate  callowness. 

I have  not  time  now  to  follow  this  discussion  into  the  field 
of  social  and  political  reform  where  we  are  apt  to  rely  on  shift- 
ing expedience  rather  than  trust  to  tried  and  guiding  principles, 
or  into  an  inquiry  into  the  chief  aims  of  our  whole  national 
endeavor,  where  we  overstress  the  value  of  deeds,  of  achieve- 
ments, of  comfort  and  physical  well-being,  or  into  the  whole 
trend  of  our  life,  which  is  to  put  fact  above  truth,  the  temporal 
and  the  local  above  the  abiding  and  universal,  the  material  above 
the  ideal,  the  mind  above  the  spirit,  and  so  everywhere  bigness 
above  greatness.  I merely  suggest  to  you  how  these  tendencies 
must  effect  colleges  and  college  administration. 

I charge  you  above  all  else  to  hold  your  institution  to  the  main 
things,  to  develop  in  your  women  the  power  to  know  the  truth 
and  the  will  to  live  it.  Vocational  and  industrial  education  is  to 
be  valued,  not  primarily  because  it  will  make  wage  earners  and 
increase  the  wealth  of  nations,  but  because  it  may  be  used  to 
develop  efficiency  and  character.  Scientific  studies  are  of  little 
educational  value  if  they  end  in  a knowledge  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  and  not  in  such  a fashioning  of  the  affections  and  the 
will  as  to  make  us  live  in  loving  obedience  to  those  laws.  In 
historical,  economic,  philosophical,  social  investigations  an  earn- 
est, even  reverent,  search  for  the  truth  is  not  high  enough  motive, 
but  the  rule  of  righteousness  in  the  world.  Art  should  be  prized, 
as  Whitman  has  said,  in  proportion  to  the  radiation  through  art 
of  the  ultimate  truths  of  conscience  and  of  conduct.  And  books 
for  educational  uses  should  be  rated  in  accordance  with  their  for- 
mative and  sustaining  power.  Education  will  begin  to  fulfill  its 
great  meaning  and  mission  when  it  learns  that  intellect  itself  is 
a function  of  personality.  It  must  find  and  control  the  motives 
that  lie  at  the  basis  of  all  character.  The  emotions  and  affections, 


14 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


and  that  strange  precipitation  of  them  which  we  call  the  will; 
admiration,  faith,  hope,  love — these  make  mankind.  And  to 
reach  these  is  the  great  aim  of  education. 

This  institution  which  this  day  is  formally  put  into  your  hands 
is  a great  gift  from  the  past  to  the  present.  Keep  it,  cherish  it, 
improve  it,  and  hand  it  on  from  the  age  that  is  past  to  the  ages 
that  are  waiting  before. 


The  Inaugural  Address  of  President  Webb 

THE  TASK  OF  THE  COLLEGE 

In  formally  assuming  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  Presi- 
dent of  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College,  I desire  to  state  in  a 
brief  and  concise  manner  some  of  the  educational  principles 
which  I believe  should  be  the  controlling  factors  in  the  manage- 
ment of  an  institution  of  this  character.  If  a recital  of  my  edu- 
cational creed  shall  seem  somewhat  trite  and  commonplace,  please 
remember  that  the  college  has,  from  its  inception,  enjoyed  the 
tuition  of  men  and  women  whose  culture  and  scholarship  repre- 
sented the  finest  ideals  of  this  country  and  abroad,  and  from  the 
nature  of  the  case  I shall  be  able  to  add  little  to  that  solid  body 
of  educational  theory  and  practice  which  has  become  the  warp 
and  woof  of  the  Woman’s  College.  From  the  past  it  has  inher- 
ited its  devotion  to  the  humanities,  its  cordial  attitude  toward 
the  natural,  political  and  social  sciences,  its  cosmopolitan  atmos- 
phere, its  broadly  tolerant  spirit,  and  its  deeply  religious  charac- 
ter. It  was  built  on  the  theory  that  young  women,  having 
received  as  good  a preparation  as  their  brothers,  were  entitled 
to  enjoy  as  good  collegiate  advantages  as  they.  The  plan  did 
not  contemplate  so  much  an  identity  in  courses  of  instruction, 
as  it  did  an  equality  of  privilege  and  opportunity  for  high  think- 
ing and  serious  endeavor.  Its  faculty  believed  that  young 
women  under  like  conditions  were  capable  of  doing  as  thorough 
work  as  young  men,  and  their  confidence  has  been  abundantly 
justified.  Standards  of  scholarship  have  been  as  high,  entrance 
requirements  have  been  as  rigid,  and  methods  of  instruction  have 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College  15 

been  as  good  as  those  given  in  the  best  colleges  for  men  in  the 
land.  Not  only  have  the  graduates  finished  the  courses  with 
credit  to  themselves  and  with  distinction  to  their  Alma  Mater, 
but  their  work  has  received  the  seal  of  approval  from  the  great 
universities,  and  all  has  been  accomplished  without  the  loss  or 
diminution  of  those  gracious  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  which 
represent  the  flower  of  Southern  womanhood — a living  monu- 
ment to  the  faith  and  fortitude  of  its  first  President  and  founder, 
Dr.  William  Waugh  Smith. 

If,  as  most  of  us  are  glad  to  believe,  home-building  and  mother- 
hood are  to  be  the  chief  functions  of  the  majority  of  our 
daughters,  it  is  essential  that  the  college  give  them  an  opportunity 
for  obtaining  the  largest  and  sanest  preparation  for  the  discharge 
of  these  grave  and  responsible  duties ; and  that  preparation  is  to 
be  found,  we  believe,  not  so  much  in  the  pursuit  of  those  subjects 
which  are  immediately  utilitarian  and  vocational,  as  in  those 
which  frankly  make  their  appeal  to  more  remote  ends  and  find 
their  justification  in  developing  the  culture  of  the  mind  and  heart 
which  is  inseparably  connected  with  the  ideals  of  a liberal  edu- 
cation. As  Miss  Thomas  has  forcibly  pointed  out,  college-bred 
women  who  are  to  bear  and  rear  children  cannot  “conceivably 
be  given  an  education  too  broad,  too  high,  or  too  deep,  to  fit  them 
to  become  the  educated  mothers  of  the  future  race  of  men  and 
women  to  be  born  of  educated  parents.”  To  such  mothers  the 
choicest  gifts  of  the  college  will  not  come  amiss,  and  they  will 
find  ample  use  for  the  stored  up  wisdom  of  the  past  in  teaching 
their  offspring  to  think  wisely,  judge  sanely,  and  worship  rever- 
ently. This  would  be  sufficient  argument,  if  argument  were 
needed,  for  offering  to  women  the  advantages  of  higher  educa- 
tion. But  women,  like  men,  to  quote  Miss  Thomas  once  more, 
“are  quickened  and  inspired  by  the  same  study  of  the  great  tra- 
ditions of  their  race,  by  the  same  love  of  learning,  the  same  love 
of  science,  the  same  love  of  abstract  truth,”  and  the  conclusion 
is  inevitable — they  should  have  the  privilege  of  receiving  the 
same  kind  of  college  education.  They  have  won  the  right  to 
study  what  they  please,  and  where  they  please,  and  have  shown 
their  ability  and  their  willingness  to  work  as  hard  for  their 


16  Inauguration  of  the  President 

degrees  as  their  brothers  do.  They  scorn  to  accept  any  standards 
of  excellence  short  of  the  best,  and  they  ask  no  consideration  on 
account  of  their  sex.  Judged  by  all  the  known  standards  of 
scholarship,  they  have  given  a good  account  of  themselves;  and 
it  matters  not  whether  these  tests  have  been  made  in  the  hurly- 
burly  of  the  class-room,  in  the  strain  and  stress  of  competitive 
examinations,  in  the  number  of  Phi  Beta  Kappa  keys  won,  or  in 
the  hard  and  persistent  grind  of  the  graduate  schools. 

Let  us  examine,  then,  the  task  which  the  college,  solemnly  dedi- 
cated to  the  advancement  of  women’s  education,  sets  itself  and 
the  instruments  it  proposes  to  use  in  accomplishing  its  purpose. 

Incidentally  it  may  be  well  to  recall  that  the  American  college 
has  lately  been  through  a searching  fire  of  criticism,  and  has  come 
out  not  altogether  unscathed.  The  discussions,  which  have 
varied  from  the  extremely  unfair  statements  of  the  prejudiced 
critics  to  the  chastened  deliverances  of  the  colleges’  best  friends, 
have  tended  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  general  public  rather  to 
the  excresences  of  college  life  than  to  the  fundamental  and  en- 
during elements  which  give  permanency  to  the  one  institution 
which  is  America’s  most  distinctive  contribution  to  the  cause  of 
education.  But  out  of  the  confused  Babel  has  come  a persistent 
purpose  on  the  part  of  the  college  authorities  to  meet  in  a brave 
and  courageous  way  the  various  problems  of  college  administra- 
tion. The  public  may  rest  assured  that  college  faculties  and  col- 
lege trustees  are  not  unmindful  of  their  duties  and  responsibil- 
ities, and  as  a result  of  these  searchings  of  heart  the  modern 
college  gives  promise  of  becoming  an  even  more  potential  factor 
in  developing  the  mind  and  heart  of  the  rising  generation  than  it 
has  ever  been  before. 

To  make  men  and  women  is  the  business  of  the  college.  A 
recent  writer  has  summed  up  the  matter  as  follows:  “The  col- 
lege prepares  for  life  by  introducing  the  student  in  some  detail 
to  that  knowledge  of  human  history  and  human  achievement 
which  is  the  necessary  background  for  the  broadest  and  happiest 
living;  and  in  so  doing  it  trains  him  to  that  keenness  of  mind 
which  will  enable  him  to  judge  surely  and  readily  of  the  great 
issues  of  life.”  And  to  accomplish  this  purpose  it  claims  as  the 
object  of  its  tuition  the  whole  range  of  man’s  intellectual  and 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College  17 

moral  activities,  so  far  as  they  affect  the  life  of  the  spirit.  The 
content  of  the  college  curriculum  may  vary  from  time  to  time,  but 
so  long  as  the  college  proposes  to  chasten  the  judgment,  to  illumi- 
nate the  understanding,  and  to  quicken  the  moral  sensibilities  of  its 
students,  it  will  lean  heavily  toward  the  humanistic  studies ; that  is, 
toward  studies  that  stress  the  ideal  and  spiritual  elements  of  life. 
Please  do  not  misunderstand  me.  I have  no  quarrel  with  those 
institutions  which  are  trying  to  accomplish  similar  purposes  by 
other  means.  Our  own  task  has  been,  and  is,  to  supply  our 
students  with  those  disciplinary  and  cultural  studies  which  are 
supposed  to  constitute  the  backbone  of  the  college  of  liberal  arts, 
our  own  belief  being  that  the  best  possible  preparation  for  life 
that  the  college  can  give  is  just  that  attitude  of  mind  and  culture 
of  heart  which  represent  the  re-action  of  four  years  of  intimate 
association  of  college  students  with  college  professors  in  the  study 
of  those  things  which  make  for  sound  learning  and  purposeful 
living.  If  the  structure  of  things  is  at  heart  spiritual,  and  who 
will  deny  it?  does  it  not  follow  that  every  discipline  which  helps 
us  to  see  things  in  their  spiritual  significance  is  practical  and 
worth  while?  “Philosophy,”  says  Novalis,  “bakes  no  bread;  but 
it  finds  for  us  God,  freedom,  and  immortality.” 

The  modern  college,  therefore,  gladly  welcomes  all  subjects, 
whether  old  or  new,  that  promise  to  give  discipline  to  the  intel- 
lect, grace  to  the  body,  and  understanding  to  the  heart  of  man. 
The  new  sciences,  both  natural  and  political,  as  well  as  the 
modern  languages,  have  won  their  right  to  equal  consideration 
in  appraising  the  value  of  the  modern  curriculum.  But  while 
we  readily  recognize  the  value  and  significance  of  the  modern 
subjects  of  study,  and  willingly  grant  them  a high  place  in  the 
synagogue  of  learning,  we  are  compelled  to  question  whether  a 
discipline  of  studies  has  yet  been  found  that  will  quite  take  the 
place  of  the  classics  as  a means  of  enriching  the  minds  and  sweet- 
ening the  souls  of  those  who  are  willing  to  pay  the  price  of  mas- 
tering the  languages  in  which  they  are  written. 

Many  elements  enter  into  the  intellectual  make-up  of  a broadly 
educated  man  or  woman.  But  with  all  our  modern  learning 
and  with  all  the  extensive  courses  of  study  offered  in  the 
present  day  curriculum,  where  shall  we  find  a satisfactory  sub- 


18  Inauguration  of  the  President 

stitute  for  that  vitality  of  thought,  perfection  of  power,  and 
abiding  sense  of  beauty  which  are  enshrined  in  the  literature 
of  Greece  and  Rome?  Professor  Jebb  is  literally  correct  when 
he  says  that  the  achievement  of  the  Greek  mind  is  our  one 
permanent  possession  which  no  lapse  of  time  can  make  obso- 
lete, and  which  no  multiplication  of  interests  can  make  super- 
fluous. There  is  no  occasion  for  conflict  or  acrimonious  debate 
between  the  friends  of  the  classics  and  of  the  modern  subjects  of 
study.  There  is  abundance  of  room  for  all.  However  rich  and 
varied  a program  the  college  curriculum  may  offer,  and  how- 
ever popular  the  new  subjects  may  be,  there  will  always  be  some 
choice  souls  among  the  students  and  faculty  who  will  turn  back 
with  great  satisfaction  of  spirit  to  that  small  but  incomparably 
precious  deposit  of  thought  which  comes  down  to  us  from  the 
great  Greek  poets  and  philosophers  and  whose  power  of  inspi- 
ration is  in  no  way  diminished. 

And  what  is  true  of  Great  literature  is  largely  true  of  the 
other  great  literatures  of  the  Western  world.  Here  one  finds 
enshrined  the  noblest  thoughts  of  the  noblest  souls ; and  by  the 
strange  alchemy  of  the  spirit-world,  these  thoughts  possess  the 
power  of  transmuting  the  rainbow  visions  of  youth  into  the 
minted  gold  of  mental  achievment  and  moral  culture. 

To  the  young  women,  even  perhaps  more  than  to  the  young 
men,  the  call  of  great  literature  is  insistent,  and  above  all  else 
it  is  incumbent  upon  the  woman’s  college  to  make  ample  provis- 
ion for  furnishing  strong  and  satisfying  courses  in  both  ancient 
and  modern  literature.  The  methods  of  instruction  must  be  vital, 
inspiring,  uplifting.  Large  opportunity  must  be  given  for 
exploring  the  hidden  by-paths,  the  leafy  dells,  the  flowery  nooks, 
as  well  as  the  broadly  beaten  highways  of  literature.  Linguistic 
studies  will  receive  more  attention,  but  with  a difference.  Some- 
thing more  than  a smattering  of  grammar  and  an  ability  to  read 
and  speak  the  language  of  the  shop  is  desirable.  Is  it  too  much 
to  expect  that  our  students  of  languages  shall  gain  a friend- 
ly acquaintance  with  the  great  masters  of  modern  literature? 
The  wise  teacher  will  not  forget  that,  in  the  noble  language  of 
Milton,  “the  main  skill  and  groundwork  will  be  to  temper  them 
such  lectures  and  explanations  upon  every  opportunity  as  may 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


19 


lead  and  draw  them  in  willing  obedience,  influenced  with  the 
study  of  learning  and  admiration  of  virtue,  stirred  with  high 
hopes  of  living  to  be  brave  men  and  worthy  patriots,  dear  to  God 
and  famous  to  all  ages.” 

To  those 

“Who  speak  the  tongue 

That  Shakespeare  spoke;  the  faith  and  morals  hold 
Which  Milton  held,” 

no  apology  is  needed  for  the  statement  that  our  own  English 
literature  is,  of  all  cultural  studies  now  included  in  the  college 
curriculum,  the  one  peculiarly  adapted  for  quickening  the  intel- 
lect, strengthening  the  moral  fiber,  and  opening  the  windows  of 
the  soul.  This  is  the  reason  why  our  great  poets  are  the  supreme 
teachers  of  youth.  When  they  are  at  their  best  they  catch  the 
‘‘breath  and  finer  spirit  of  all  knowledge,  the  impassioned  ex- 
pression of  all  science,”  and  in  the  magic  of  their  lines  they 
enrich  the  capacities  and  humanize  the  emotions  of  those  about  to 
assume  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. 

Closely  allied  to  the  record  of  man’s  best  thoughts,  as  found 
in  the  great  literatures  of  the  world,  is  the  record  of  man’s  great 
deeds,  which  constitutes  the  history  of  the  cultural  nations  of  the 
earth.  At  times  the  page  is  blurred  with  the  account  of  “man’s 
inhumanity  to  man,”  but  the  chronicle  is  not  complete  until  it 
has  recorded  the  story  of  the  immortal  achievements  of  the 
human  mind  in  its  persistent  struggle  with  superstition,  ignor- 
ance, and  prejudice.  The  study  of  history  is  an  incentive  to 
culture  not  merely  because  it  acquaints  the  individual  with  the 
story  of  man’s  slow  progress  from  age  to  age,  but  much  more 
because  it  emphasizes  the  necessity  of  searching  out  the  causes 
of  things,  and  cultivates  that  tolerance  of  mind  which  is  insepa- 
rable from  a wide  knowledge  of  facts  and  a willingness  to  see 
things  in  their  right  relationship.  “History,”  says  Lord  Acton, 
“compels  us  to  fasten  on  abiding  issues,  and  rescues  us  from  the 
temporary  and  the  transient.” 

Deeply  interested  in  the  things  of  the  past,  the  college  also 
touches  in  a very  vital  way  the  life  of  the  present.  The  political, 
sociological,  and  economic  movements  of  the  day  furnish  abund- 


20 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


ant  material  for  mental  discipline,  and  in  the  careful  investiga- 
tion of  those  phenomena  the  students  have  an  opportunity  of 
acquiring  that  habit  of  thought  and  temperament  of  spirit  which 
will  enable  them  to  play  an  intelligent  part  in  the  community  life 
of  the  present.  This  comes  close  home  to  us  when  we  consider 
the  rapid  changes  now  taking  place  in  many  sections  of  our 
country  with  reference  to  woman’s  attitude  toward  governmental 
questions.  We  cannot  blink  the  fact  if  we  would,  that  many 
students  of  this  institution  when  they  return  to  their  homes  will 
be  called  upon  to  take  up  the  responsibilities  of  citizenship  in  a 
very  practical  way ; and  the  college  would  be  gravely  remiss  if  it 
did  not  furnish  them  an  opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  facts  of  government,  and  thus  equip  them  for  perform- 
ing these,  as  it  tries  to  teach  them  to  perform  all  other  duties,  in 
a thoroughly  sane  and  conscientious  manner. 

But  while  the  college  is  busily  engaged  in  giving  its  students 
a vantage  ground  where  they  may  enjoy  the  spiritual  possessions 
of  the  past  and  profit  by  the  racial  experiences  of  the  present,  it 
must  not  fail  to  give  them  an  opportunity  of  understanding  and 
appreciating  in  some  large  way  the  world  of  nature  in  which 
they  live,  and  move,  and  have  their  physical  being.  Some  knowl- 
edge of  the  sciences  obtained  at  first  hand  in  the  patient,  pains- 
taking, and  systematic  work  of  the  laboratory  forms  an  integral 
part  of  the  mental  equipment  of  the  well  educated  person.  “Pure 
science,”  says  President  Hibben,  “is  a liberal  study.  It  belongs 
utterly  to  the  humanities,  for  it  not  merely  gives  knowledge  of 
the  facts,  it  does  more.  It  is  a training  in  habits  of  precision, 
in  accuracy  of  observation,  in  closely  articulated  modes  of 
reasoning.”  A study  of  the  natural  sciences  and  mathematics  cul- 
tivates clearness  of  statement  and  directness  of  expression,  and 
thus  helps  the  individual  to  see  things  in  their  true  perspective. 
It  is  no  accident  that  many  of  the  great  mathematicians  and 
scientists  have  also  been  idealists ; men  with  deep  spiritual  yearn- 
ings and  mystic  longings. 

It  would  indeed  be  carrying  coals  to  Newcastle  to  offer  any 
extended  reasons  for  including  philosophical  subjects  in  the  list 
of  studies  pertaining  to  a liberal  education.  Where  else  save  in 
the  study  of  “divine  philosophy”  are  we  to  find  the  means  of 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


21 


bringing  the  human  mind  in  touch  with  “that  truth  which  is  at 
once  the  keystone  of  knowledge  and  the  pole  star  of  conduct?” 
And  psychology,  ethics,  and  education  are  no  less  valuable  in 
quickening  the  faculties  and  strengthening  the  muscles  of  the 
mind. 

Ample  provision  will  also  be  made  in  the  college  curriculum 
for  the  care  and  culture  of  the  body,  which  reaches  its  perfec- 
tion when  it  becomes  the  fair  dwelling  place  of  a soul  made 
luminous  by  beauty,  truth,  and  goodness. 

“For  of  the  soii!e  the  bodie  forme  doth  take; 

For  soule  is  forme,  and  doth  the  bodie  make.” 

These  are  some  of  the  more  important  subjects  which  when 
properly  grouped  and  co-ordinated  constitute  the  essential  ele- 
ments of  a well  balanced  college  curriculum.  Compassing  as 
they  do  the  arts,  the  sciences,  and  the  ever  expanding  record  of 
man’s  advancing  civilization,  they  are  supposed  to  stimulate  intel- 
ligence and  culture  and  to  promote  spiritual  insight  and  sympathy, 
to  the  end  that  our  college  graduates  may  render  large  and  effi- 
cient service  to  God  and  humanity. 

Hitherto,  we  have  not  been  inclined  to  think  seriously  of 
woman’s  education  in  terms  of  creative  and  productive  scholar- 
ship. In  fact,  for  long  we  were  even  disposed  to  question 
whether  she  had  the  right  to  knock  for  admission  at  the  door 
which  guarded  the  mysteries  of  graduate  work  and  scholarly 
research.  But  surely  the  age  which  has  crowned  Sonya  Kova- 
levsky with  the  highest  honors  of  the  French  Academy,  and  has 
recognized  Madame  Curie  as  the  greatest  living  physicist,  will 
not  deny  to  woman  the  right  to  work  in  the  thin,  dry  air  of  pure 
scholarship,  if  she  so  desires.  If  an  enthusiasm  for  work,  a will- 
ingness to  undergo  hardship,  a zeal  for  extending  the  boundaries 
of  human  knowledge  and  enlarging  the  sphere  of  human  en- 
deavor, signify  anything,  then  the  college  women  of  this  genera- 
tion have  qualified  for  citizenship  in  the  Republic  of  Letters. 
They  have  eagerly  availed  themselves  of  the  open  doors  of  oppor- 
tunity granted  them,  and  have  made  genuine  returns  for  courte- 
sies extended. 


22 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


In  1911,  30  per  cent  of  the  graduate  students  of  the  United 
States  were  women,  and  during  the  same  year  they  received  28 
per  cent  of  all  the  master’s  degrees  granted  by  American  univer- 
sities, and  one  in  every  ten  receiving  a doctor’s  degree  was  a 
woman. 

These  conditions  make  it  imperative  that  the  women’s  colleges 
foster  a spirit  of  scholarship  if  they  are  to  meet  the  demands  of 
the  present.  It  is  neither  essential  nor  desirable  that  university 
methods  should  be  introduced  into  college  classes,  but  it  is  desir- 
able that  the  spirit  of  research,  of  investigation,  be  encouraged 
as  far  as  practicable.  I know  of  no  better  way  of  keeping  up 
standards  of  teaching,  of  encouraging  promising  students  to 
pursue  their  studies  in  universities,  of  keying  the  whole  insti- 
tution up  to  its  highest  state  of  efficiency,  than  by  securing  and 
retaining  on  the  faculty  men  and  women  who  may  be  classed  as 
productive  scholars.  For  this  reason  the  college  will  make  easy 
the  path  leading  from  its  doors  to  the  graduate  departments  of 
the  great  universities. 

But  after  all,  teaching  is  the  supreme  task  of  the  college  in- 
structor, and  the  college  is  the  one  institution  where  teaching 
should  have  her  perfect  work.  For  this  some  erudition  is  neces- 
sary, some  originality  of  thought  essential.  “But,”  as  Professor 
Gilbert  Murray  says,  “the  main  and  the  most  testing  duty  that 
is  laid  upon  us  is  that  of  living  again  in  understanding  and  imagi- 
nation the  great  hours  that  have  once  been  lived ; to  live  them 
again,  and  so  to  comprehend  and  to  interpret.  The  greatest 
possessions  of  the  world  are  all  of  them  always  in  danger  of 
death.  They  die  when  there  is  no  one  to  care  for  them  or  under- 
stand them  most.  When  one  reflects  what  a frail  and  fugitive 
thing  the  essential  quality  of  high  poetry  or  great  thinking  nat- 
urally is,  how  easily  crushed  out  by  the  common  pressure  of  life, 
or  even  destroyed  by  the  mere  effort  of  forcing  it  into  a fixed 
groove  in  education,  one  begins  to  see  where  the  normal  work  of 
a true  scholar  really  lies.  Not  necessarily  in  original  research, 
not  necessarily  in  new  ideas  or  vast  accumulations  of  learning. 
It  lies  in  keeping  alive  great  things  of  the  spirit  which  would 
otherwise  die,  and  in  maintaining  in  his  generation  some  stand- 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


23 


ard  of  sensitiveness  by  which  their  greatness  can  be  felt  and 
judged.”* 

To  induct  students  into  the  world  of  ideas,  to  teach  them  the 
fine  art  of  adjusting  themselves  to  the  sweet  and  wholesome 
atmosphere  of  culture  and  refinement,  to  encourage  them  to  taste 
for  themselves  the  sheer  joy  of  thinking  true  and  straight  upon 
the  problems  of  human  existence,  these  are  the  tasks  which 
give  zest  to  the  work  of  the  college.  Physical  beauty,  intellectual 
discipline,  moral  enlightenment,  these  are  the  goals  which  college 
teachers  must  keep  before  their  minds  if  they  would  make  their 
contribution  toward  perfected  womanhood. 

“I  call  that  a school  perfectly  fulfilling  its  mission,”  declared 
Bishop  Comenius,  ‘‘which  is  a place  for  the  building  up  of  a 
genuine  manhood ; where  the  spirit  of  the  learner  is  baptized  into 
the  glory  of  knowledge  and  wisdom,  quick  to  understand  all 
things  secret  and  revealed ; where  all  the  emotions  of  the  soul 
are  brought  into  full  harmony  with  all  the  virtues,  the  heart  so 
won  by  the  love  of  God  and  filled  with  it,  that  it  is  possible  for 
all  who  are  entrusted  to  the  school  to  be  led  into  true  wisdom, 
and  to  become  accustomed  even  here  on  earth  to  lead  a heaven- 
like life.” 

There  is  no  higher  duty  resting  upon  the  college  than  to  create 
an  atmosphere  in  which  the  moral  and  volitional  powers  may 
expand  into  well  rounded  manhood  and  womanhood.  The  men- 
tal and  spiritual  are  so  closely  allied  that  it  is  impossible  for 
the  one  to  be  developed  at  the  expense  of  the  other  without  harm 
to  both.  In  reality,  the  spiritual  nature  of  man  embraces  thought 
and  feeling  and  will,  the  whole  man  in  his  indivisible  and  com- 
plete unity.  In  order,  then,  that  the  intellectual  and  moral  nature 
of  the  student  rnay  reach  full  fruition,  it  is  essential  that  the 
college  should  be  saturated  with  a deep  spirit  of  reverence  and 
religion.  “Religion,”  says  Eucken,  “more  than  anything  else, 
makes  a whole  out  of  life,  relates  it  to  the  universe  as  a whole, 
and  directs  it  to  the  ultimate  ends.” 

Themselves  keenly  sensitive  to  the  tides  of  religious  emotion 
which  flow  round  the  college,  its  officers  and  teachers  must  deeply 

*Educational  Review,  May,  1911. 


24 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


feel  the  responsibility  of  guiding  and  shaping  the  moral  and 
religious  development  of  the  young  life  entrusted  to  their  care. 
They  must  understand  that  religion  is  largely  a matter  of  con- 
tact; something  that  must  be  caught,  not  merely  taught,  cer- 
tainly not  in  a perfunctory  way. 

Not  inclined  to  be  demonstrative  in  her  religious  life,  the 
modern  college  student  is,  nevertheless,  impulsive  by  nature, 
eager  to  try  the  new  paths  of  knowledge,  quick  to  detect  the 
difference  between  the  real  and  the  sham;  and  ready  to  give 
whole-souled  allegiance  to  those  who  are  able  to  interpret  to  her 
the  higher  things  of  life.  Perhaps  nowhere  else  in  the  world 
will  one  find  idealism  so  regnant  as  in  the  halls  of  a modern 
college;  nowhere  else  do  spiritual  leaders  of  the  race  find  such 
responsive  audiences  as  here;  nowhere  else  do  the  poets,  and 
philosophers,  and  sturdy  men  of  action  receive  such  adulation 
as  here.  The  college  community  believes  in  the  things  of  the 
mind,  and  pins  its  faith  to  the  conviction  that  this  world  of 
ours  is  saturated  with  spiritual  significance.  This  idealism  shows 
itself  in  the  belief  that  things  sacred  and  things  secular  are  not 
antagonistic,  but  friendly,  and  that  the  canopy  of  heaven  bends 
over  all  and  envelopes  all.  The  marts  of  trade  and  the  busy 
centers  of  industry  may  suffer  from  the  dry  rot  of  dead  material- 
ism, but  in  the  quiet  shadows  of  academic  halls  spiritual  monism 
reigns  supreme.  Here  the  mind  of  youth  is  stayed  on  truth ; here 
the  true  teacher  makes  the  hearts  of  his  followers  burn  within 
them  as  he  unfolds  to  them  the  treasures  of  literature,  music  and 
art,  the  secrets  of  science,  the  beauties  of  nature,  and  the  verities 
of  religion.  This  is  why  the  four  years  of  college  life  may 
become  the  most  precious  experience  in  the  life  of  the  youth 
ready  to  enjoy  such  privileges.  Here  it  is  the  college  finds  its 
true  mission  in  interpreting  the  things  of  the  mind  to  the  youth 
who  enter  its  halls.  It  dispels  cynicism  and  spiritual  ennui,  and 
puts  in  their  place  the  joyous  confidence  in  the  orderly  progress 
of  human  history. 

In  one  of  Keats’s  letters  there  occurs  a significant  passage  in 
which  he  protests  against  calling  this  world  of  ours  a “vale  of 
tears.”  “What  a little  circumscribed,  straitened  notion!  Call 
the  world  if  you  please  ‘The  Vale  of  Soul-making!’  Then  you 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


25 


will  find  out  the  use  of  the  world.”  This  passage,  it  seems  to  me, 
may  not  inappropriately  be  applied  to  college  life.  The  supreme 
task  of  the  college  is  soul-making.  Its  highest  privilege  and  func- 
tion is  to  give  to  its  students  an  opportunity  of  becoming  souls; 
not  mere  intelligences,  not  mere  identities,  but  individual  person- 
alities, living  souls,  fashioned  after  a divine  pattern  in  harmony 
with  the  eternal  purposes  of  the  living  God. 


Address  of  Welcome  to  the  Guests  on  Behalf 


of  the  Randolph-Macon 


President  R.  E.  Blackwell,  LL.  D. 
of  Randolph-Macon  College. 


With  my  audience  before  me  and  the  guests  behind  me,  I am 
called  upon  to  exercise  what  is  said  to  be  the  art  of  every  good 
president  of  a college — the  art  of  facing  both  ways.  Physically 
it  is  hard  to  do,  but  I will  do  my  best. 

The  Virginia  colleges  are  afflicted  as  are  no  other  colleges  in 
the  land.  They  are  burdened  with  double  names.  It  was  not 
unnatural  that  our  first  college  should  be  called  “William  and 
Mary,”  but  if  the  mind  of  man  were  capable  of  much  originality 
the  next  college  to  be  founded  would  not  have  been  named 
Hampden-Sidney,  and  the  next  Randolph-Macon.  The  amount 
of  originality  involved  in  leaving  out  the  “and”  in  these  names 
was  considered  too  daring  by  the  founders  of  the  next  college, 
and  they  went  back  to  the  first  form  and  named  their  college 
“Emory  and  Henry.”  Thus  most  of  our  Virginia  colleges  are 
burdened  with  these  double  names,  but  it  was  left  to  us  to  add 
mystery  to  the  bungling  nomenclature  by  calling  ourselves  the 
“Randolph-Macon  System.”  Why  System? 

Twenty-five  years  ago  one  of  those  brain  storms  that  periodi- 
cally rage  among  business  men  swept  over  Virginia.  We  got 
it  into  our  heads  that  all  the  inhabitants  in  the  United  States 
were  going  to  settle  in  Virginia.  The  only  method  that  we  had 
for  getting  ready  for  this  influx  was  to  lay  out  large  portions 


26 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


of  the  State  in  town  lots  and  build  a hotel  for  each  of  these 
prospective  cities.  This  Virginia  “bubble”  burst  after  a few 
years,  but  even  now  bird  hunters  constantly  stumble  over  the 
remains  of  these  great  cities  miles  beyond  where  any  human 
beings  are  found. 

I undertook  to  find  out  what  became  of  the  money  spent  dur- 
ing this  “boom.”  During  the  investigation  I asked  a shrewd 
business  man  for  his  opinion.  He  began,  “All  the  money  that 
the  trustees  of  Randolph-Macon  college  did  not  get” — and  then 
he  went  on  with  his  explanation.  There  happened  to  be  at  the 
head  of  Randolph-Macon  College  a man  with  some  originality, 
who  could  think  of  something  else  which  might  attract  people  to 
a community  besides  a hotel.  He  was  an  experienced  teacher, 
who  knew  that  what  Virginia  needed  was  not  hotels,  but  second- 
ary schools.  He  went  to  some  of  these  promoters  and  urged  upon 
them  the  superiority  of  a school  over  a hotel  as  a permanent 
asset  for  a community.  They  were  convinced  by  his  argument, 
first  the  people  of  Bedford  City,  then  those  of  Front  Royal. 
Thus  the  two  great  academies  arose  in  different  parts  of  the 
State. 

Having  strengthened  our  school  system  at  its  weakest  point 
by  establishing  these  two  connecting  links  between  the  common 
schools  and  the  colleges,  Dr.  Smith,  as  the  “boom”  was  still  on 
and  money  still  going  to  waste,  turned  his  attention  to  still  further 
building  substantial  and  abiding  monuments  out  of  the  stuff 
that  business  men’s  dreams  are  made  of.  He  went  before  the 
land  companies  of  Lynchburg,  told  them  of  the  one  great  need  in 
Virginia  of  a woman’s  college  of  the  first  rank  and  showed  them 
what  such  a college  would  mean  to  this  community,  and  with  that 
power  of  his  of  making  others  see  with  his  eyes,  he  painted  to 
them  all  the  life  and  activity  of  a college  community  and  what 
that  would  mean  in  “booming”  their  property.  He  made  them 
see  with  the  eye  of  the  imagination  what  you  and  I behold  this 
day  with  the  natural  eye.  They  caught  his  enthusiasm;  and 
Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College  stands  as  the  result.  Later 
the  feeder  to  the  Woman’s  College,  the  Institute  at  Danville,  was 
added  to  the  series  of  schools. 

Thus  came  into  being  “The  Randolph-Macon  System  of  Col- 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


27 


leges  and  Academies,”  but  that  is  too  much  of  a name  even  for 
Virginians  accustomed  to  unwieldly  educational  nomenclature. 
We  therefore  leave  off  one  half  of  our  name,  and  call  ourselves 
“The  Randolph-Macon  System.” 

In  behalf  of  this  System  we  welcome  you  here  today  to  take 
part  in  the  inauguration  of  a man  who  we  believe  will  be  a 
worthy  successor  of  Dr.  Smith,  who  will  not  let  the  vision  that 
Dr.  Smith  twenty  years  ago  conjured  before  the  citizens  of 
Lynchburg  fade  into  the  light  of  common  day,  but  will  make 
them  realize  that  if  that  vision  fades,  the  city  perishes.  We  wel- 
come you  here  to  this  one  of  our  five  homes — where  most  of  our 
beauty  dwells. 


Greetings 

Johns  Hopkins  University 

Dr.  J.  H.  Latane 

Friends  of  Randolph-Macon,  it  is  a great  pleasure  to  me  to 
return  to  these  familiar  scenes,  for  I am  here  in  a two-fold 
capacity.  I am  here  as  an  official  bearer  of  greetings  from  Johns 
Hopkins  University,  and  also  as  a former  member  of  the  faculty 
of  this  institution. 

The  relations  between  Johns  Hopkins  University  and  Ran- 
dolph-Macon have  been  very  close,  and  I don’t  know  that  there 
has  been  a time  since  this  College  was  founded  that  there  have 
not  been  Hopkins  men  in  the  faculty;  and  there  are  at  least  five 
of  our  Doctors  of  Philosophy  in  this  faculty  today.  The  rela- 
tions between  Randolph-Macon  at  Ashland,  and  Hopkins,  are 
equally  as  close,  and  Randolph-Macon  College  at  Ashland  sends 
a very  large  number  of  students  every  year  to  Johns  Hopkins 
University.  I found  the  other  day  that  there  were  fourteen  men 
from  Randolph-Macon  College  at  Ashland,  pursuing  medical 
courses  at  Johns  Hopkins  this  year — in  fact,  I think  that  Yale 


28 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


and  Princeton  furnish  the  largest  number  of  students  at  Hop- 
kins, with  Washington  and  Lee  and  Randolph-Macon  standing 
next. 

Now,  while  as  a rule  I do  not  advise  all  young  women  to  pur- 
sue graduate  courses,  if  these  be  the  fields  of  conquest  to  which 
your  ambition  directs  you,  I wish  to  remind  you  that  Johns 
Hopkins  University  has  opened  its  doors  to  women  pursuing 
graduate  and  medical  courses. 

Sixteen  years  ago  I started  my  professorial  career  in  this 
College,  and  I spent  four  very  busy  and  active  years  here.  In 
looking  back  over  that  period  I have  been  almost  convinced  of 
the  fact  that  those  young  women  who  were  students  in  this 
institution  at  that  time  taught  me  a great  deal  more  than  I taught 
them;  so  that  I feel  that  in  a sense  I can  claim  this  as  one  of  my 
alma  maters.  Randolph-Macon  was  then  in  its  infancy.  It  had 
no  traditions,  and  I realized  that  it  was  a very  good  thing  to  be 
in  an  institution  that  was  young.  I had  come  from  a young 
institution  myself — Johns  Hopkins — but  there  were  no  traditions 
to  hamper  us  here.  In  fact,  the  only  traditions  in  the  South  were 
the  traditions  of  the  female  seminary,  and  this  college  was 
never  hampered  with  those  traditions.  Dr  Smith  started 
out  with  a great  vision,  or  idea,  of  establishing  a great  college, 
and  he  succeeded  in  founding  the  first  college  for  women  in  the 
South  that  could  give  them  equal  opportunities  with  the  best 
colleges  for  men.  Dr.  Smith  was  singularly  wise  in  his  deal- 
ings with  his  faculty.  He  believed  in  putting  the  right  per- 
son in  charge  of  a department,  and  letting  him  go  ahead 
and  work  out  his  own  salvation.  I never  worked  under  a man 
who  was  more  sympathetic,  more  ready  to  accept  a new  idea 
and  to  give  you  an  opportunity  to  put  it  into  effect,  than  was 
Dr.  Smith.  Dr.  Smith  had  all  the  enthusiasm  and  fire  of  a cru- 
sader, and  the  crusade  in  which  he  led  this  city  and  the  South 
was  for  the  education  of  women.  If  a man  ever  devoted  bound- 
less, unfaltering  devotion  to  a cause,  that  man  was  Dr.  Smith, 
and  that  cause  was  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College.  For 
this  foundation  he  sacrificed  everything  that  a man  can  of  time, 
energy,  great  ability,  and  his  own  means,  and  finally  his  own 
strength  and  his  own  life,  and  he  did  it  with  a large  faith  in 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


29 


the  future  which,  Mr.  President,  I believe  will  continue  to  be 
realized  in  greater  and  greater  degree  as  the  years  go  by.  I 
believe  that  Dr.  Smith’s  great  spirit  is  hovering  over  this  scene 
today,  and,  Mr.  President,  his  benediction  rests  upon  you  in  the 
great  work  which  you  are  undertaking.  Dr.  Smith  did  not 
complete  the  work  he  set  out  to  do.  Dr.  Smith  was  the  last  man 
in  the  world  to  regard  any  work  as  being  complete.  He  was 
never  satisfied  with  present  achievement;  he  was  always  press- 
ing on  to  something  larger  and  greater  and  nobler. 

And  so,  sir,  you  have  undertaken  a work  which,  measured  by 
the  life  of  colleges  and  universities,  is  still  in  its  infancy.  You 
have  a great  task  before  you.  As  you  said,  women  have  demon- 
strated their  ability  to  receive  the  same  kind  of  education  that 
men  receive.  Now,  to  my  mind,  the  great  problem  which  pre- 
sents itself  to  the  College  today  is  the  question  as  to  whether  the 
same  kind  of  education  which  men  receive  is  best  fitted  for 
women.  Its  chief  function  is  to  fit  women  for  the  great  task  of 
life,  for  life  is  becoming  more  and  more  complex,  and  frequently 
its  most  difficult  problems  fall  to  woman’s  share. 

I congratulate  you,  sir,  on  succeeding  to  this  great  opportunity 
— the  greatest,  I think,  in  the  South,  and  the  South  today  is 
developing  in  a way  that  no  other  section  of  the  country  is.  We 
are  living  through  a period  of  competitive  growth,  and  I con- 
gratulate you  on  assuming  this  great  task,  and  I want  to  assure 
you  that  all  the  friends  of  Randolph-Macon  wish  you  God-speed 
in  your  work. 


University  of  Virginia 

Prof.  W.  M.  Forrest 

In  presenting  her  greetings  today  the  University  of  Virginia 
has  but  one  regret,  and  that  very  sincere  regret  that  her  own 
President,  Dr.  Edward  A.  Alderman,  is  unable  to  be  here  to  greet 
you  in  person,  on  account  of  his  absence  in  Europe.  But  the 
congratulations  of  the  University  to-day,  which  we  desire  to  ex- 


30 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


tend  to  this  institution  and  its  incoming  president,  are  not  on 
that  account  the  less  sincere,  and  it  is  a privilege  to  be  able  to 
mingle  our  voices  with  the  many  who  to-day  are  wishing  you  God- 
speed in  taking  up  the  tasks  that  were  laid  down  by  your  great 
predecessor,  who  called  this  institution  into  being,  and  guided  it 
so  wisely  for  nearly  a quarter  of  a century. 

It  is  peculiarly  fitting  that  the  University  of  Virginia  should 
be  among  the  first  to  offer  felicitations  today,  standing  as  it  does 
at  the  head  of  the  public  system  of  education  in  this  State.  For 
we  all  well  know  that  the  work  that  the  Woman’s  College  is 
doing  makes  it  not  the  less  a part  of  our  system  of  public  educa- 
tion because  it  is  supported  by  private  generosity,  and  not  at 
the  expense  of  the  public  treasury.  Indeed,  Virginia  has  reason 
for  peculiar  pride  in  this  institution,  that  has  done  so  much  for 
the  womanhood  of  the  State,  and  has  reflected  glory  upon  the 
name  of  this  State  by  calling  here  so  many  daughters  from  afar, 
bidding  them  drink  of  the  fountains  unsealed  that  here  flow. 

The  State  has  not,  so  far,  been  able  to  provide  from  the  public 
purse  those  higher  educational  advantages  for  women  that  it  has 
long  afforded  to  men.  It  is,  therefore,  with  more  earnestness 
that  we  can  to-day  congratulate  this  institution  on  its  success, 
realizing  that  its  contributions  to  the  wellfare  of  the  State  have 
been  so  unselfishly  given.  No  State  can  achieve  the  ultimate 
educational  knowledge  without  giving  its  womanhood  opportuni- 
ties of  learning  as  high  as  those  afforded  to  its  men ; and  the 
University  of  Virginia  is  glad  today  to  acknowledge  its  debt  to 
this  institution  and  to  every  institution  that  is  making  it  possible 
for  the  young  men  who  throng  its  halls  to  have  educated  mothers 
and  sisters,  as  well  as  educated  fathers  and  brothers ; and  what- 
ever the  future  may  offer  in  the  way  of  atonement  for  the  State’s 
lack  in  making  contribution  to  the  higher  education  of  women, 
there  are  two  things  of  which  the  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s 
College  may  rest  assured:  the  first  is,  that  Virginia  will  ever 
be  profoundly  grateful  to  the  Woman’s  College  for  the  service 
rendered  to  womanhood ; and  the  second  is  that  no  matter  how 
fully  the  University  of  Virginia  may  come  in  the  future  to  realize 
its  somewhat  tardy,  but  none  the  less  sincere  ambition  to  provide 
higher  education  for  women  as  well  as  men,  the  University  of 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


3i 


Virginia  can  never  assume  the  attitude  of  a rival,  but  simply  as  a 
colaborer  in  the  great  field,  where  this  institution  has  been  send- 
ing distinguished  memorials  for  now  so  many  years. 

Mr.  President,  the  future  which  beckons  you  on  is  one  that  is 
full  of  big  problems  for  us  all,  and  for  none  are  those  problems 
larger  than  for  those  like  yourself  who  are  called  upon  to  direct 
the  education  of  women.  It  is  but  yesterday  that  all  the  pleasant 
paths  of  higher  learning  were  hopelessly  blocked  before  women, 
and  now  that  the  forces  of  Democracy  and  Christianity  have 
torn  those  barriers  down,  many  are  walking  in  those  paths  with 
eager  feet;  and  as  the  years  go  by,  in  increasing  numbers  from 
all  lands  on  this  globe  will  they  continue  to  walk  in  those  high- 
ways of  the  soul.  Nor  is  it  strange  that  with  the  new  vision  and 
new  strength  that  have  come  from  this  opportunity,  women  are 
today  beginning  to  demand  entrance  upon  other  avenues  that 
through  the  long  ages  have  been  denied  to  them.  The  men  of  the 
future  cannot  have  those  ways  to  self-expression  and  service 
closed  on  the  march  of  womanhood.  As  impossible  would  it  be 
for  men  of  days  to  come  to  expel  women  from  those  ways  as  it 
was  impossible  for  those  in  the  immediate  past  to  shut  them  out 
from  the  paths  of  higher  learning.  We  know  not  just  what  the 
future  may  be ; we  only  know  that  the  hand  which  writes  its  task 
moves  inexorably  on.  We  cannot  recall  either  the  ways  or  the 
men  of  the  past;  there  is  no  turning  back  of  the  shadow  on  the 
dial,  and  even  the  present  lies  beyond  the  power  of  any  intrepid 
Joshua  bidding  the  sun  of  our  day  stay  its  course  down  the 
Western  skies.  We  must  move  forward.  New  days  will  bring 
to  this  institution,  as  to  us  all,  new  problems  and  new  perplexities. 
To  those  who  would  linger  in  the  present,  those  who  stand  look- 
ing with  unutterable  longing  back  to  the  past,  there  is  just  one 
clear  call  from  out  the  future,  and  that  the  stern  command: 
“On ! on!” 

Mr  President,  when  your  predecessor  in  his  day  heard  that 
selfsame  call,  and  laid  his  hand  courageously  to  the  task  of 
opening  the  ways  of  higher  learning  to  the  women  of  Virginia 
and  of  the  South,  there  were  some  who  feared  that  all  who  en- 
tered might  bid  farewell  forever  to  those  elements  of  gentleness 
and  grace  that  have  been  the  chief  adornment  of  the  womanhood 


32 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


of  the  South  and  of  the  South’s  civilization;  but  so  wisely  did 
he  go  before  the  young  women  who  came  to  these  halls,  guiding 
them  into  the  paths  that  he  would  have  them  walk,  that  long 
before  his  days  were  done  those  fears  had  been  laid  to  rest  for- 
ever. What  the  future  may  bring  to  womanhood  in  the  way  of 
new  duties  of  citizenship  to  which  you  have  referred  in  speaking 
of  the  task  of  this  College  and  its  duty  to  young  womanhood,  it 
is  not  within  the  power  of  any  who  are  here  fully  to  see  or  to 
foretell;  but  this  we  know,  that  it  is  impossible  for  any  to  wish 
to  you  a higher  and  nobler  achievement  than  to  teach  new  gen- 
erations of  students  here  to  discharge  whatever  new  duties,  new 
claims,  may  be  laid  upon  them,  in  such  fashion  that  there  shall 
be  no  loss  to  the  chief  glory  of  womanhood — her  gentleness  and 
her  grace. 


Barnard  College,  Columbia  University 

Dean  Virginia  C.  Gildersleeve,  Ph.  D. 

President  Webb,  ladies,  gentlemen,  to  the  Randolph-Macon 
Woman’s  College  and  to  her  new  President  I bring  most  cordial 
congratulations  and  greetings  from  Barnard  and  from  Columbia, 
the  University  of  which  Barnard  is  proud  to  be  a part;  and  in  a 
wider  sense  I come  to  bear  felicitations  to  you  from  all  the 
women’s  colleges  of  the  North. 

Barnard  is  perhaps  not  an  inappropriate  missioner  from  North 
to  South.  We  have  in  New  York  many  bonds  with  the  South. 
We  have  many  Southerners  there — many  Southerners  upon  our 
faculty.  Indeed,  perhaps  the  most  distinguished  of  our  faculty 
is  a native  of  this  great  State.  Thousands  of  students  from  the 
South  look  to  New  York  for  education  and  for  inspiration.  I 
have  known  them  in  the  undergraduate  course  at  Barnard;  I 
have  known  many  more  among  the  six  hundred  women  graduate 
students,  who  at  Columbia  are  pursuing  the  studies  begun  at 
the  Southern  colleges  which  have  sent  them  to  us.  Most  of  all 
I know  the  Southern  students  at  our  summer  session,  where  next 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


33 


month  there  will  be  several  thousands  from  the  South,  many  of 
them  teachers  spending  their  holiday  seeking  inspiration  in  Uni- 
versity work,  that  they  may  spread  this  inspiration  later  among 
their  tens  of  thousands  of  pupils  in  all  the  states  of  the  South. 
The  deep  respect  which  I have  felt  for  all  these  Southern  women 
makes  me  very  glad  to  return  their  visit,  so  to  speak,  and  to 
come  here  today  from  the  college  women  up  North. 

You  take  your  office,  Mr.  President,  at  a moment  which  seems 
to  me  significant  to  the  education  of  women.  Every  month  I 
find  new  calls  to  us  to  send  women  into  new  fields  of  work.  In 
the  research  laboratory,  in  the  great  field  of  preventive  medicine, 
in  business  offices,  in  factories,  in  department  stores,  in  the 
varied  activities  of  municipal,  state  and  governmental  work, 
women  are  being  called  upon  today  to  take  up  those  responsibili- 
ties and  to  guide  affairs  with  that  enthusiasm  and  care  which 
heretofore  they  have  exercised  only  in  the  home  and  in  the  school- 
room. There  is  a great  demand  for  trained  women  in  these  new 
fields.  This  has  naturally  led — and  rightly — to  a demand  for 
vocational  and  technical  training  in  these  new  fields  of  work. 
Women  who  are  trained  as  stenographers,  in  laboratory  work, 
in  medicine,  in  the  technique  of  new  lines  like  salesmanship, 
journalism,  in  a hundred  and  one  new  fields,  are  being  asked  to 
come  equipped  with  vocational,  technical  knowledge.  We  all 
in  the  college  must  sympathize  with  this  demand,  and  we  must 
insist  that  all  graduates  fit  themselves  technically  for  all  lines  of 
work — stenography,  housekeeping,  or  teaching. 

But  it  seems  to  me  that  at  this  moment  it  is  the  mission  of 
women’s  colleges  to  uphold  the  old  idea  of  a liberal  education, 
which  you  have  expressed  this  morning;  to  impress  on  the  minds 
of  the  community  that  a higher  education  tends  to  make  the  best 
teachers,  the  best  positions,  the  best  homemakers.  You  cannot 
take  a mere  piece  of  human  clay  to  begin  with;  you  need  a finer 
material,  a more  highly  developed  type  of  humanity  before  you 
superimpose  the  greatest  and  highest  responsibilities  of  present 
day  life.  It  seems  to  me,  then  that  it  is  our  duty  today  that  we, 
of  the  women’s  colleges,  insist  upon  the  necessity  of  a liberal 
training  that  makes  the  mind  think  straight  and  see  the  high 
ideals  that  all  professions  should  aim  at. 


34 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


In  carrying  on  this  great  work  here  at  Randolph-Macon  you 
have  many  advantages : its  beautiful  location,  the  high  ideals  of 
its  founder,  the  personality  of  the  new  President,  and  most  of 
all,  perhaps,  the  human  material  with  which  you  have  to  deal; 
for  in  hearing  these  demands  for  workers  in  many  fields  I am  im- 
pressed by  the  supreme  importance  of  personality.  And  through- 
out the  country  the  Southern  woman  is  famed  for  her  personality, 
for  her  social  tact,  for  her  graciousness,  for  her  gentle  and  win- 
ning manners.  From  the  graduates  of  your  institution,  Mr. 
President,  I expect,  therefore,  not  only  that  they  shall  be  keen 
in  intellect  and  sound  in  judgment,  but  that  they  shall  show 
those  graces  and  social  tact  and  gentleness  and  personality  that 
make  the  women  of  the  South,  and  especially  of  Virginia,  famed 
throughout  the  North. 

The  bond  of  sisterhood  that  unites  all  the  women’s  colleges 
of  this  country  makes  good  wishes  go  out  to  you  today,  I know, 
from  all  the  institutions  of  the  North — from  Vassar  in  the  Hud- 
son Valley,  from  Smith,  Mt.  Holyoke  among  the  hills  of  the 
Connecticut  Valley,  from  Radclifife,  from  Cornell,  from  Welles- 
ley, where  she  rises  with  fresh  stride  from  the  ashes  of  her  col- 
lege hall  by  her  lovely  lake;  from  Bryn  Mawr;  from  my  own 
Barnard  on  the  Heights  where  the  proud  Hudson  mingles  its 
waters  with  the  sea;  from  that  point  that  I might  think  of  as  the 
outpost  of  the  army  where  we  uphold  as  well  as  we  can  the 
standards  of  professional  knowledge — from  all  these,  and  from 
many  other  institutions,  I bring  from  the  college  women  of  the 
North  congratulations  to  Randolph-Macon’s  new  President,  and 
to  the  President,  most  cordial  good  wishes  for  an  administration 
long,  prosperous,  and  happy. 


Vanderbilt  University 

Prof.  H.  M.  Henry,  Ph.  D., 
of  Emory  and  Henry  College. 

As  friends  of  higher  education  we  rejoice  to-day,  not  only  in 
the  occasion  that  brings  us  together,  but  in  gatherings  of  this 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


35 


kind,  representative  as  they  are  of  our  institutions  of  higher 
learning,  we  are  given  a renewed  interest  in  a common  cause, 
the  cause  of  the  better  training  of  the  young  manhood  and  woman- 
hood of  our  Southland.  To  one  phase  of  this  I wish  to  refer, 
the  maintenance  of  a high  standard  as  to  the  character  of  our  col- 
lege work.  Perhaps  in  no  part  of  America  has  greater  progress 
in  higher  education  been  made  recently  than  in  our  own  section. 
This  progress  has  not  come  about  by  the  multiplication  of  col- 
leges and  universities.  Indeed,  numerically  the  colleges  of  the 
South  would  not  suffer  greatly  by  comparison  with  those  of  other 
sections  of  the  country  more  favorably  situated  in  this  respect. 
In  fact,  thoughtful  educators  have  not  infrequently  debated  in 
their  own  minds  whether  growth  in  numbers  is  always  an  indica- 
tion of  wholesome  progress. 

But  this  advance  in  higher  education  in  our  own  section  has 
come  about  by  recognizing  certain  standards  as  to  the  content 
and  intent  of  college  education.  The  tendency  has  been  to  en- 
courage the  better  equipped  and  more  favorably  situated  col- 
leges to  raise  their  entrance  requirements  and  intensify  their  col- 
lege work,  while  others,  which  by  circumstances  and  surround- 
ings have  had  better  opportunity  to  do  work  of  a lower  grade — 
a labor  none  the  less  important,  but  different — were  discouraged 
in  giving  courses  and  conferring  degrees  more  pretentious.  This 
movement  to  standardize  the  curricula  of  the  colleges  has  resulted 
not  so  much  in  relegating  institutions  long  regarded  as  colleges 
to  lower  rank,  as  it  has  contributed  to  a mighty  effort  on  the  part 
of  all  our  colleges  to  raise  their  requirements.  While,  as  was  to 
be  expected  in  some  individual  cases,  this  advance  has  appeared 
for  the  most  part  on  paper,  still  in  the  majority  of  instances  the 
trend  upward  has  been  genuine.  Organized  influences  both 
within  and  without  have  been  brought  to  bear  in  this  direction. 
Various  local  associations  and  educational  commissions  have 
studied  the  matter,  attempted  to  define  college  education  and 
classify  our  institutions.  Men  whose  contributions  to  higher 
learning  have  been  considerable  in  amount  are  known  to  be  in 
sympathy  with  such  a movement.  Their  efforts  have  taken  ex- 
pression in  the  formation  of  boards  to  study  the  needs  and  possi- 
bilities of  each  community,  and  to  aid  accordingly.  The  time  is 


36  Inauguration  of  the  President 

coming,  if,  indeed,  it  has  not  already  come,  when  a Bachelor’s 
degree  will  have  a definite  meaning. 

But  some  time  before  these  stimuli  were  so  freely  available  it 
affords  us  pleasure  to  recall  that  the  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s 
College  had  already  caught  a vision  of  a leadership  in  this  develop- 
ment when  it  should  come.  And  when  the  young  women  of  the 
South  were  looking  for  educational  opportunities  substantially 
equal  to  those  enjoyed  by  their  brothers,  their  eyes  turned  to  this 
institution  as  one  that  met  their  needs. 

Today  Vanderbilt  University  rejoices  with  the  Randolph- 
Macon  Woman’s  College  and  her  friends  in  the  prestige  she  has 
won  by  encouraging  and  maintaining  this  high  standard.  I have 
been  especially  requested  by  the  Chancellor  of  Vanderbilt  Uni- 
versity to  bring  to  you  the  greetings  of  my  alma  mater  and  Mr. 
Webb’s.  Today  Vanderbilt  feels  honored  in  that  you  have  called 
to  the  headship  of  this  college  one  of  her  sons.  In  her  work  for 
Southern  education  Vanderbilt  is  proud  of  the  men  who  have 
been  trained  within  her  walls  and  have  gone  out  to  other  institu- 
tions of  learning  to  aid  in  molding  the  young  manhood  and 
womanhood  of  the  future.  Not  only  so,  but  the  Randolph- 
Macon  College  for  men  so  closely  connected  with  this  institution, 
has  sent  many  of  her  graduates  to  the  theological  department  of 
the  University. 

Again,  I am  reminded  that  for  many  years  the  former  presi- 
dent of  this  college  and  the  present  chancellor  of  Vanderbilt  were 
closely  associated  in  educational  work.  Thus  the  ties  official 
and  personal  which  bind  the  two  institutions  so  closely  together 
are  many;  and  we  shall  watch  the  career  of  President  Webb 
with  confidence  and  with  hope,  sure  that  the  success  that  has 
crowned  his  work  in  the  past  will  follow  him  still,  and  that  the 
principles  of  thorough  education  illustrated  in  his  work  will 
guide  and  control  him  in  his  new  position.  Today  Randolph- 
Macon  and  Vanderbilt,  so  alike  in  their  ideals  and  hopes,  join 
hands  in  hearty  greeting  and  friendship. 


Central  College,  Missouri 


Prof.  R.  T.  Kerlin,  Ph.  D., 
of  the  Virginia  Military  Institute. 

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  Virginia  has  done  well  to  get  a Mis- 
sourian for  a college  president.  Most  of  them  are  descendants  of 
Virginia,  and  the  spacious  West  has  not  dwarfed  their  inherited 
virtues.  Besides,  the  educational  debt  which  Missouri  owes  to 
Virginia,  large  as  it  is,  is  one  that  she  is  glad,  as  far  as  she  is 
able,  to  pay  on  the  installment  plan. 

Central  College  was  practically  founded  by  Virginians.  One 
of  her  presidents,  at  least — and  it  is  very  likely  that  more  than 
one — was  a Virginian.  I say  more  than  one  because  Virginia 
has  a way  of  producing  Presidents,  and  planting  them  in  various 
localities.  My  professor  of  Greek  was  a Virginian;  of  English 
was  Virginian,  and  I have  a suspicion  that  several  others  were 
Virginians,  though  it  hardly  seems  reasonable  to  harbor  such  a 
suspicion,  for  if  they  had  been  there  would  have  been  no  doubt 
about  it! 

I used  to  sit  in  Central  College  chapel  during  morning  prayers, 
and  read  a mural  tablet  to  the  memory  of  Wm.  A.  Smith,  once 
president  of  Central  College.  I don't  recall  just  what  his  partic- 
ular virtues  were,  but  I don’t  think  that  particularly  matters — 
there  were  none  that  he  did  not  possess — he  was  a Virginian ! In 
fact,  when  I reflect  upon  it  now,  it  was  unnecessary  to  cover  all 
that  space  with  his  virtues ; it  was  enough  to  say  “He  was  a Vir- 
ginian.” 

The  standards  of  Central  College  were  established,  her  lines 
were  determined,  her  ideals  shaped,  by  Virginians;  therefore  it 
would  be  the  height  of  ingratitude  for  us  to  refuse  to  acknowl- 
edge this  record  of  obligations  to  Virginia,  for  the  same  is  true 
of  practically  all  of  the  eleven  colleges  of  the  Missouri  College 
Union,  which  also  I have  the  honor  to  represent  on  this  occasion. 
You  may  smile  at  the  paucity  of  colleges  constituting  the  Mis- 
souri College  Union,  but  let  me  remind  you  of  a few  facts. 


33 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


First,  there  are  three  times  this  many  colleges  in  Missouri — 
these  are  leading  colleges;  second,  six  times  this  many  have 
perished ; and  third,  this  does  not  include  the  twenty  odd  leading 
colleges  for  young  ladies.  There  was  a stage  in  the  advance  of 
the  vast  train  of  immigrants  from  Virginia  to  Kentucky  when, 
on  beholding  the  beautiful  landscape,  they  said,  ‘'This  will  be  a 
fine  site  for  a college,  or  university — preferably  a university.” 
That  accounts  for  the  fact  that  Missouri  has  been  a training 
school  for  college  presidents — for  other  states! 

I congratulate  the  Board  of  Trustees  on  their  having  secured 
a man  in  whom  sound  judgment  and  lofty  idealism  are  his 
counterpoise;  I congratulate  the  ladies  of  this  college  on  their 
having  at  their  head  a president  who  is  a scholar  and  not  merely 
a business  manager;  I congratulate  the  student  body  on  their 
good  fortune  in  having  a man — I got  the  idea  of  that  sentence 
from  Shakespeare!  There  is  nothing  needed  further;  but  I 
know  his  virtues  so  well  that  I may  just  enlarge  a little  bit.  He 
will  be  firm,  but  he  will  be  consistent;  he  will  be  authoritative, 
but  he  will  be  inspiring ; he  will  be  cruel,  of  course,  but  he  will  be 
sympathetic;  he  is  able  to  dream  dreams  and  to  see  visions,  but 
he  will  not  forget  how  dreams  are  brought  true,  and  how  visions 
are  converted  into  solid  facts;  he  will  be  a friend  whose  counsels 
are  kind,  and  whose  demands  will  be  just  what  the  weak,  the 
wayward,  and  the  wicked  need.  As  a Missourian  and  as  an 
alumnus  of  Central  College  I cannot  refrain  from  expressing 
regret  that  you  have  called  Dr.  Webb  from  that  State  and  that 
institution,  but  as  an  adopted  Virginian  I join  with  my  fellow 
educators  in  welcoming  him  this  side  of  the  Alleghanies. 

I also  represent  another  institution — my  speech  is  not  in  pro- 
portion to  the  number  of  institutions  I represent — I represent 
the  Virginia  Military  Institute.  I regret  to  say  that  I cannot 
use  the  language  of  some  of  my  predecessors  upon  this  platform 
in  declaring  how  beautiful  and  friendly  the  relations  between 
“these  two  institutions”  have  been,  because  it  is  not  a relation  of 
rivalry,  and  it  is  certainly  not  one  of  hostility  on  our  part, 
although  we  are  military.  I am  exceedingly  glad  to  meet  you 
here  in  old  Virginia  and  welcome  you  to  the  presidency  of  this 
honored  college. 


State  Department  of  Education 

Hon.  R.  C.  Stearnes,  A.  M., 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

Any  greeting  on  behalf  of  the  public  school  system  to  the 
President  of  this  college  naturally  suggests  two  questions : first, 
how  far  shall  evangelical  truth  affect  public  instruction?  and 
second,  what  is  the  function  of  a college  privately  supported  in 
the  great  scheme  of  educating  all  the  people  ? 

Can  men  “win  God  out  of  knowledge,”  as  Lanier  believed? 
or,  conversely,  is  education  of  any  value  at  all  if  it  despises  and 
contemns  the  religious  element?  I use  the  word  religious  in  con- 
tradistinction to  the  word  sectarian. 

The  lamented  founder  of  this  school  said  to  me  on  one  occa- 
sion : “The  denominational  college  starts  with  religion  in  edu- 
cation and  then  through  endowment  strives  to  make  education 
free;  you  public  school  men,”  said  he,  “have  started  with  free 
education  through  State  endowment  and  must  make  it  religious.” 
That  in  Dr.  Smith’s  thought  was  the  top  of  the  mound  that  we 
were  approaching  from  different  sides,  and  therefore  from  dif- 
ferent points  of  view.  It  is  in  fact  a common  ground,  a high 
ground,  on  which  the  twentieth  century  American  may  stand 
without  distrust  of  his  fellowmen  of  other  communions  and 
without  anxiety  about  his  offspring’s  spiritual  growth. 

Education  must  concern  itself  with  the  soul  of  man  as  well 
as  his  body  and  mind,  and  the  general  religious  views  of  a people 
are  just  as  certain  to  be  represented  in  their  public  schools  as 
men  and  women  holding  those  views  are  certain  to  be  employed 
as  teachers. 

There  is  very  little  trouble  about  the  matter  since  sectarian 
influences  never  obtrude  themselves  in  the  best  spiritual  training 
of  our  day.  As  in  moral  education  we  say,  do  not  moralize,  so 
in  religious  education  we  say,  do  not  dogmatize. 

Hence  the  man  who  describes  the  public  school  as  being  God- 
less is  about  as  far  wrong,  I am  persuaded,  as  the  unfortunate 


40 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


soul  who  thinks  the  world  is  sunless  because  either  into  his  dun- 
geon or  his  darkened  eyes  there  comes  no  ray  of  light. 

Formerly  in  our  religious  convocations  we  heard  from  the 
delegate,  who  must  make  his  presence  felt,  hasty  words  of  antag- 
onism because  the  public  schools  were  not  under  what  he  was 
pleased  to  term  positive  religious  influences , and  I have  even 
heard  of  private  boarding  schools  which  were  willing  to  snatch 
children  away  from  good  homes  at  the  tender  ages  of  twelve  and 
fourteen  on  the  same  theory.  But  now  the  better  thought,  to 
quote  the  report  of  a recent  religious  gathering,  “emphasizes  the 
importance  of  denominational  schools  without  antagonism  to  the 
State  system  of  schools.”  And  every  social  worker  knows  that 
notwithstanding  the  great  orphanages  and  institutional  homes 
which  God’s  children  have  builded  in  His  name,  and  notwith- 
standing the  immense  service  they  are  rendering  and  have  ren- 
dered, there  is  still  no  place  like  the  traditional  home  which  God 
himself  founded  for  rearing  children.  Therefore,  the  logical 
conclusion  of  the  “positive  religious  thinking”  of  our  day  is  the 
public  school,  elementary  and  secondary  grades,  within  conven- 
ient reach  of  every  child  until  after  the  stormiest  part  of  the 
adolescent  period  has  passed,  so  that  the  control  of  fathers  and 
the  love  of  mothers  may  check  frivolity  and  anticipate  rashness. 

Speaking  also  from  the  public  school  standpoint  I proceed, 
in  the  second  place,  to  inquire  how  and  where  the  work  of  an 
institution  like  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College  functions  in 
a state  or  national  system  of  education  ? The  inquiry  is  aided  by 
the  fact  that  this  school  led  all  the  other  Virginia  schools  in  giving 
our  girls  the  real  curriculum  of  a woman’s  college.  Pretty  soon 
the  graduates  of  this  school  found  their  way  into  our  high  school 
faculties,  and  I simply  confess  the  truth  when  I say  that  my 
first  question  as  a State  school  official  was  not:  “What  is  the 
college  doing?”  but  “Whence  came  this  teacher?”  I was  de- 
lightfully surprised,  if  not  startled,  by  the  work  some  of  your 
graduates  were  doing,  and  I said:  “Where  were  these  young 
women  trained?”  From  that  day  to  this  I have  desired  to  see 
every  high  school  teacher  in  Virginia  no  less  worthily  trained 
than  might  be  briefly  indicated  by  the  right  to  place  the  letters 
B.  A.  after  his  or  her  name. 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


4i 


But  I go  one  step  further  and  declare  that  the  training  of 
teachers  is  only  part  of  the  work  of  foundations  like  Randolph- 
Macon  Woman’s  College,  Sweet  Briar,  Hollins,  Vassar,  and 
schools  of  their  order,  aspirations  and  solemn  purpose.  They 
train  not  teachers  alone,  nor  missionaries  alone,  nor  school 
workers  alone,  nor  the  occasional  business  leader  alone;  they 
train  women.  Notwithstanding  the  Augustan  age,  or  the  age  of 
Pericles,  or  the  ages  of  Solomon  and  Homer,  one  must  maintain 
that  ours  is  the  golden  age  because  woman  is  now  making  herself 
so  splendidly  influential  in  the  life  of  growing  commonwealths 
like  the  Virginia  of  1914. 

And  what  shall  I more  say?  For  the  time  would  fail  me  to 
tell  of  the  Young  Women’s  Christian  Association,  of  the  Feder- 
ation of  Women’s  Clubs,  of  the  Woman’s  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  and  above  all  of  the  noble  army  of  mothers,  all  doing 
work  accepted  and  honored  in  every  section  of  our  State  and 
country  and  by  every  school  of  thought.  What  is  it  that  these 
women  have  not  done  through  faith  and  education?  We  have 
all  seen  them  subdue  kingdoms  and  stop  the  mouths  of  lions, 
particularly  in  debates  on  moral  and  social  questions.  They  have 
wrought  righteousness,  and  not  only  obtained  promises,  as  the 
Scriptures  put  it,  but  also  the  redemption  of  these  promises.  Out 
of  weakness  they  have  been  made  strong,  have  waxed  valiant  in 
fight,  and  have  turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  sin  and  ignorance. 

Therefore,  Mr.  President,  coming  as  the  representative  of  491 
high  schools  and  6,200  elementary  schools,  of  11,336  teachers 
and  616,168  children,  I greet  you  as  the  head  of  an  instution 
which  ministers  to  the  public  school  system  of  the  State  in  a 
real  and  vital  way;  I greet  you  as  the  head  of  an  institution 
whose  graduates  are  granted  one  of  the  highest  teachers’  certif- 
icates we  issue;  I greet  you  as  the  head  of  an  institution  which 
must  be  accounted  as  part  of  the  public  movement  whose  broad 
foundation  we  find  in  the  common  school. 


The  Patronizing  Conferences 

Rev.  F.  J.  Prettyman,  D.  D., 

Chaplain  United  States  Senate. 

The  moral  subsoil  out  of  which  this  great  institution  has  grown 
is  the  Christian  Church,  and  the  section  of  the  Church  that  has 
immediately  given  it  its  distinct  being  is  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  South.  The  board  of  trustees  as  the  legal  entity 
that  holds  the  title  of  the  physical  property  is  composed  now, 
and  has  been  composed  for  many  years,  of  members  of  that 
Church.  It  is  fitting  therefore  that  upon  this  occasion  of  the 
inauguration  of  its  new  president  there  should  be  uttered  amid 
the  general  acclaim  of  satisfaction  and  hope,  one  word  especi- 
ally in  behalf  of  that  Church.  I have  not  the  slightest  doubt 
but  that  if  opportunity  had  afforded,  the  Baltimore  Confer- 
ence would  have  delegated  one  of  its  members  to  bear  its  felic- 
itations to  the  President-elect,  and  to  express  its  congratulations 
to  the  Trustees  and  Faculty  and  student  body  upon  so  auspicious 
an  occasion.  This  great  College  stands  the  monument  to  the 
most  marvelous  genius  that  the  South  has  produced  in  all  of  its 
history  in  the  field  of  education.  It  can  never  be  forgotten  that  a- 
mid  conditions  most  restricted,  and  with  resources  limited  to  the 
verge  of  despair,  the  great  first  Chancellor  dreamed  his  dream  of 
success;  and  then  with  courage  born  out  of  the  heroic  sixties, 
and  faith  in  the  leadership  of  the  unseen  hand  of  his  divine 
Lord,  he  brought  into  being,  as  from  a formless  void,  this  great 
temple  dedicated  to  Christian  womanhood. 

I once  heard  the  richest  man  in  America  say,  at  the  time  of 
the  opening  of  a library  that  was  to  enjoy  his  generous  philan- 
thropy, that  the  praise  of  the  work  accomplished  was  not  due  to 
him  who  had  more  money  than  he  knew  how  to  give  away, 
but  to  those  men  who  through  the  patient  toil  of  years  had 
wrought  their  very  life  into  the  public  benefaction.  But  if  it 
is  difficult  to  create  a great  institution  of  public  ministry  out  of 
such  ample  means,  it  is  a miracle  of  creative  power  to  bring 
this  great  institution  to  its  wide  and  blessed  uses.  It  may  be 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College  43 

pointed  out,  however,  that  the  measure  of  the  success  of  Dr. 
W.  W.  Smith  can  never  be  told  without  considering  the  high 
partnership  of  prayer  and  spiritual  interest  which  he  had  with 
him  in  the  preachers  of  the  Virginia  and  Baltimore  Conferences. 
We  saw  him  put  God  to  the  test  as  to  what  God  can  do  with  a 
consecrated  man,  and  many  of  us,  though  limited  in  material 
resources,  at  least  sought  to  support  him  with  tears  and  prayers 
and  blessings.  How  much  of  prayer  has  been  wrought  into  the 
brick  and  stone  of  these  splendid  buildings  will  never  be  known 
on  earth,  but  we  may  be  sure  that  they  would  never  have  come 
to  this  great  day  of  rejoicing  without  them. 

Speaking  for  myself,  yet  I think  that  I voice  the  wish  and 
hope  of  my  brethren  in  the  ministry,  it  is  my  ideal  that  this 
great  school  shall  maintain  an  individual  character  among  the 
other  like  Colleges  in  this  country.  Education  is  the  passion 
of  the  hour.  An  Englishman  recently  lecturing  in  this  country 
has  expressed  his  amazement  at  the  universal  desire  for  educa- 
tion in  this  nation  by  the  following  story.  He  called  at  the  home 
of  a Professor  of  Harvard  College,  and  was  met  at  the  door  by  a 
servant  girl  who  told  him  that  the  Professor  was  not  in,  but 
if  he  would  go  diagonally  across  the  campus  to  a certain  building 
he  would  find  him.  Then  said  the  lecturer,  “If  you  can  find 
an  English  servant  girl  who  can  tell  you  the  meaning  of  either 
‘ diagonally'  or  * campus'  I’ll  eat  her.” 

It  is  true  that  today  enormous  sums  of  money  are  being 
spent  for  education,  and  thousands  of  eager  pupils  from  every 
walk  in  life  are  pursuing  the  ideals  of  intellectual  attainment 
with  the  passion  of  an  early  knight  for  the  Holy  Grail.  What 
part  the  Church  has  had  in  this  great  awakening  it  may  not  be 
easy  to  tell,  but  we  may  be  sure  that  without  the  hospitality  of 
the  Church  to  the  idea  of  general  education,  such  a movement  as 
we  see  about  us  today  would  be  an  impossibility. 

I am  such  a believer  in  the  preeminence  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  that  I feel  certain  that  no  movement  that  pushes  back 
the  boundaries  of  ignorance  or  helps  to  lift  the  burdens  of  the 
unbearable  ever  attains  its  real  success  without  His  sanction  or 
without  the  support  of  His  Church,  which  is  His  body,  the  ful- 
ness of  Him  who  filleth  all  things. 


44  Inauguration  of  the  President 

But  the  vision  of  the  Christian  educator  is  not  realized  in  the 
mere  extension  of  education  to  the  general  public,  unless  this 
education  discovers  that  center  of  truth  within  us  all  where 
truth  in  fullness  abides.  Our  Lord  is  the  King  of  Truth.  The 
supreme  challenge  of  His  authority  in  this  realm  was  made  be- 
fore Pilate’s  judgment  throne,  and  the  initial  interpretation  of 
its  sweep  and  power  was  given  when  Paul  laid  down  the  axioms 
of  Christian  truth  before  the  Athenian  altar  erected  to  the  Un- 
known God.  Here  is  God,  creator,  preserver,  immanent,  right- 
eous. Thus  far  Plato  had  reasoned,  and  Aristotle  had  taught. 
But  amid  this  reason  unsatisfied,  feeling  in  the  dark  if  haply  they 
might  find  God,  this  Christian  thinker  opened  the  portals  of  the 
inner  sanctuary  of  truth  and  led  the  way  to  its  eternal  King. 

It  is  of  the  highest  importance,  therefore,  that  our  ideal  shall 
not  be  contained  in  that  form  of  knowledge  that  bakes  and 
butters  the  bread  of  the  twentieth  century,  but  that  we  awaken 
the  faith  and  lead  the  mind  to  know  its  Lord.  A Methodist 
Conference  and  a school  may  be  mother  and  daughter,  or  twin 
sisters  if  you  like,  but  Christianity  and  education  are  in  a union 
which  is  one  and  inseparable. 

“The  object  of  scholarship,”  said  President  Wilson  the  other 
day,  “the  object  of  all  knowledge  is  to  understand,  is  to  compre- 
hend, is  to  know  what  the  need  of  mankind  is.  That  is  the  reason 
why  scholarship  has  usually  been  more  fruitful  when  associated 
with  religion;  and  scholarship  has  never,  so  far  as  I can  at  this 
moment  recollect,  been  associated  with  any  religion  except  the 
religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  religion  of  humanity  and  the  com- 
prehension of  humanity  are  of  the  same  breed  and  kind,  and  they 
go  together.”  To  use  another  sentence  from  the  President’s 
speech,  “There  is  always  an  inspiration  in  every  new  venture  of 
mind.”  One  who  does  not  feel  the  thrill  and  excitement  of  it  on 
such  an  occasion  as  this  is  surely  devoid  of  that  quality  of  great- 
ness which  has  been  said  is  the  capacity  to  be  inspired. 

In  your  vast  undertaking  you  will  expect,  and  you  will  have  a 
right  to  demand,  the  sympathy  and  support  of  the  patronizing 
conferences.  This  must  be  given  ungrudgingly.  We  shall  feel 
that  here  is  the  center  from  which  is  to  go  forth  the  finished 
product  of  Christian  training.  We  can  work  with  you  only  as 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


45 


our  ideals  are  the  same.  But  your  work  will  be  more  intensive  in 
its  character,  and  even  more  far-reaching  in  its  results,  because 
you  will  here  prepare  the  master  spirits  for  a richer  and  fuller 
service. 

What,  then,  have  we  a right  to  expect  from  you?  An  institu- 
tion for  the  training  of  Christian  womanhood.  I know  of  no  two 
words  of  fuller  content:  Christian  Womanhood.  Here  is  a 
vision  that  tempts  yet  defies  any  definition  or  measurement.  It  is 
somewhat  new  from  the  standpoint  of  scholarship,  but  its  promise 
gleams  afar  down  the  twentieth  century.  Womanhood  still  hold- 
ing to  its  divinely  appointed  function  in  the  social  and  profess- 
ional and  religious  world,  but  emancipated  from  the  bondage  of 
a cramped  or  starved  personality,  will  find  through  the  training 
of  this  great  school  an  ampler  field  for  self  knowledge,  for  self 
determination,  and  for  self  expression.  This  last  reserve  of  the 
Almighty  is  the  promise  of  the  final  victory  “when  the  whole 
round  world  will  be  bound  in  every  way  by  golden  chains  about 
the  feet  of  God.,, 


The  Methodist  Church 

Bishop  Collins  Denny 

It  is  perhaps  not  unfit,  as  one  of  the  chief  pastors  of  the  great 
Methodist  Church,  that  I should  stand  here  to  give  greetings  to 
the  incoming  President  as  he  takes  charge  of  the  great  work  of 
which  he  is  to  have  the  care.  In  this  he  is  continuing  the  work 
of  John  Wesley.  Though  the  many  that  Wesley  gathered  about 
him  were  for  the  most  part  men  lacking  in  learning,  he,  the 
greatest  scholar  of  his  time  in  the  English  speaking  world,  led 
them  on  to  an  appreciation  of  what  education  could  do,  and  what 
should  be  done  if  the  working  Church  should  be  properly  con- 
ducted. 

Even  in  this  country  the  man  who  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
Methodist  Church  provided  in  the  conference  in  which  it  was 


46 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


organized,  for  a college,  and  laid  upon  the  hearts  of  the  men 
whom  he  had  put  in  leadership  the  responsibility  of  collecting 
from  men,  after  the  terrors  of  the  Revolution,  a sufficient  sum 
to  put  that  educational  work  upon  its  feet,  and  a great  work  it 
did.  Some  of  you  know  of  the  period  of  the  Church  in  1820, 
when  strife  was  abroad,  when  it  looked  as  if  the  Church  was  to 
be  divided.  At  that  time  provision  was  made  for  each  annual 
conference  to  open  an  educational  institution  of  higher  grade,  and 
out  of  that  grew  Randolph-Macon.  Hezekiah  G.  Leigh,  a native 
I belive  of  this  very  city,  was  at  the  foundation  of  that  great 
movement,  and  so  the  great  work  of  progress  in  education  has 
been  moving  on,  until  we  have  founded  in  Virginia  this  system  of 
schools  and  colleges,  which  we  hope  is  only  a prophecy  of  what 
may  be  before  us  in  time  to  come. 

I mention  this  because  it  is  not  a strange  thing  for  the  Church 
to  have  part  in  education.  Indeed,  the  Church  can  never  lay 
down  the  work  of  education  that  has  been  laid  upon  it.  And  for 
one,  I am  very  glad  to  see  the  closer  relationship  between  the 
institutions  that  may  be  called  secular,  and  those  that  are  most 
closely  united  and  bound  with  the  Church.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  sectarian  Latin,  and  there  is  no  such  thing  as  sectarian 
Greek. 

John  Stewart  Mill  declares  that  he  can  conceive  that  in  another 
world  twice  two  will  be  five.  I doubt  his  ability  in  that  direction, 
and  I think  he  must  have  been  for  the  moment  subject  to  a slight 
aberration  when  he  made  that  statement.  You  cannot  leave  out 
the  religious  element.  I have  never  forgotten  that  one  of  my  own 
honored  teachers  in  this  State  so  ground  into  my  mind  the  truth 
and  importance  and  very  language  of  the  Bill  of  Rights  of  this 
State,  that  I never  pass  through  the  Capital  Square  that  I do  not 
lift  my  hat  to  George  Mason ; and  if  you  had  ever  sat  at  the  feet 
of  John  B.  Minor,  and  heard  him  repeat  the  statement  which 
Mason  first  enunciated,  it  would  have  become  for  you,  as  it  is 
for  me,  a part  of  the  fibre  of  your  being.  No  free  government 
nor  the  blessing  of  liberty  can  be  preserved  by  any  people,  but  by 
a firm  adherence  to  justice,  moderation,  temperance,  frugality 
and  virtue,  and  by  frequent  recurrence  to  fundamental  principles. 
If  the  men  who  won  this  country  for  American  civilization,  if  the 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


47 


men  whom  we  are  privileged  to  call  our  fathers,  knew  anything 
whatever  of  the  fundamental  ground  upon  which  government  was 
to  be  erected,  it  was  a government  which  must  be  based  upon 
these  homely  morals,  which  cannot  be  left  out  either  of  the  State 
or  the  Church. 

Now,  having  heard  so  much  upon  Christian  womanhood  and 
manhood,  I should  be  false  to  my  mother’s  training  if  I did  not 
say,  in  looking  back  to  the  Virginia  home  in  which  I was  reared, 
and  to  the  quiet  and  pleasant  home  in  which  I grew,  and  to  the 
saintly  mother  who  guided  my  early  steps,  that  whatever  other 
attainments  the  world  may  have  offered  me,  whatever  ideals  pre- 
sented before  me,  I have  never  yet  reached  the  height  of  her 
great  lesson  as  to  full  manhood  that  every  man  ought  to  live.  I 
have  never  been  able  to  live  out  the  idea  that  she  sought  to  place 
upon  me,  that  in  my  earliest  infancy  she  led  my  steps  toward  the 
goal  of  highest  service,  and  taught  me  to  look  upon  the  world  not 
simply  as  a place  for  selfish  opportunities,  but  to  regard  all  as 
gifts  from  God,  as  so  many  resourses  that  could  be  turned  loose 
for  the  benefit  of  humanity ; and  I sincerely  hope  and  pray  that  in 
this  Woman’s  College  there  may  be  such  ideals  of  larger  service 
to  be  rendered — it  may  be  the  service  of  which  Milton  speaks 
when  he  represents  himself  as  ready  to  open  the  door  though  no 
one  approaches.  God  only  knows  what  service  is  rendered  by 
those  who  stand  and  wait. 

I feel  that  it  is  quite  fit  today  that  I should  say  a word  of 
welcome  to  the  son  of  a Methodist  parson.  Your  President  came 
out  of  a Methodist  parsonage,  and  I am  sure  that  he  learned  there 
lessons  of  loyalty  and  high  duty  that  he  can  never  forget.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  the  prayers  that  were  poured  out  in  his 
infancy  can  never  be  forgotten,  and  the  hopes  of  how  many  will 
follow,  nay,  precede  him  in  all  the  long  vista  of  years  in  this 
field  to  which  in  the  Providence  of  God  he  has  been  called,  it  will 
be  impossible  to  tell.  And  here  in  a Christian  institution  it  is 
proper  to  call  attention  to  those  great  words  of  the  Apostle: 
“Whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are  honest,  what- 
soever things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever 
things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report,  if  there 
be  any  virtue  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things.” 


48 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


Hold  them  before  you  as  the  ideal  that  you  are  to  pursue,  imitate 
them,  and  move  on  with  the  recognition  of  the  fact  that  the  living 
God  still  rules  the  world  and  that  through  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord,  we  hope  also  to  bring  the  Kingdom  of  the  living  God, 
not  only  into  the  minds  of  men,  but  into  their  characters  as  well, 
so  as  to  make  the  knowledge  that  they  may  gather,  a knowledge 
useful  to  the  uplift  of  humanity  in  this  and  the  future  time. 


Letters  of  Greeting 


From  the  large  number  of  letters  received  the  following  were 
selected  and  read  by  Prof.  H.  C.  Lipscomb,  Ph.  D. 

The  White  House 
Washington 

May  13,  1914. 

My  dear  Mr.  Webb:  I wish  with  all  my  heart  that  I could 
free  myself  for  a visit  to  Randolph-Macon  on  the  first  of  June, 
but  it  is  literally  impossible  for  me  to  do  so  consistently  with  the 
proper  performance  of  my  duties  here.  I have  denied  myself  all 
pleasures  of  this  sort  and  can  only  send  you  my  warmest  con- 
gratulations and  my  most  sincere  best  wishes. 

Cordially  and  sincerely  yours, 

Woodrow  Wilson. 

Mr.  William  A.  Webb, 

Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College, 

College  Park,  Lynchburg,  Va. 


Department  of  Agriculture 
Washington 

April  29,  1914. 

My  dear  President  Webb:  It  will  be  a pleasure  to  be  of 
service  in  connection  with  your  installation,  but  my  engagements 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


49 


at  that  time  will  be  such  as  to  prevent  me  from  being  present. 
I am  sorry  you  left  Missouri,  but  am  glad  that  the  Virginia 
College  and  the  State  of  Virginia  are  to  have  your  services. 
With  best  wishes, 

Sincerely  yours, 

D.  F.  Houston,  Secretary 

President  Wiliam  A.  Webb, 

Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College, 

Lynchburg,  Va. 


Department  of  the  Interior 
Bureau  of  Education 
Washington 

June  i,  1914. 

The  Bureau  of  Education  of  the  United  States  sends  greet- 
ing to  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s 
College  and  its  good  wishes  to  President  William  Alexander 
Webb  on  the  occasion  of  his  formal  installation.  The  congratu- 
lations of  this  Office  on  the  beginning  of  a new  administration 
of  the  affairs  of  the  college  are  joined  with  the  hope  and  con- 
fidence that  the  institution  will  go  forward  to  new  and  larger 
service  in  the  age  that  lies  before  it. 


Official  Seal. 


Philander  P.  Claxton, 
Commissioner  of  Education  of  the 
United  States 


Commonwealth  of  Virginia 
Governor's  Office 
Richmond 

May  19,  1914. 

Dr.  William  A.  Webb,  Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College, 
Lynchburg,  Va. 

My  dear  Doctor  Webb: — I highly  appreciate  your  personal 
invitation  to  attend  your  installation  as  President  of  the  Ran- 


50 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


dolph-Macon  Woman’s  College  on  Monday  morning,  June  first, 
and  1 regret  very  much  that  official  engagements  will  prevent  my 
attendance. 

Wishing  you  every  measure  of  success,  and  congratulating 
both  the  college  and  yourself  upon  this  event,  I am 

Very  truly  yours, 

H.  C.  Stuart,  Governor. 


Office  of  the  President 
Wellesley  College 
Wellesley,  Mass. 


President  William  Alexander  Webb, 

Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College, 
Lynchburg , Virginia. 


May  12,  1914. 


My  dear  President  Webb:  May  I express  my  great  regret 
that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  attend  your  inauguration  on  the 
first  of  June?  Wellesley  College  will  be  represented  by  one  of 
our  Alumnae,  Miss  Katherine  P.  Terry,  of  Lynchburg. 

May  I extend  to  you  at  this  time  my  warm  good  wishes  for  the 
success  of  your  administration  and  congratulations  to  Randolph- 
Macon  Woman’s  College  on  the  occasion  of  your  inauguration? 

I am, 

Most  sincerely  yours, 

Ellen  F.  Pendleton. 


University  of  Missouri 
Columbia 

Office  of  the  President 

May  19,  1914. 

Professor  Herbert  C.  Lipscomb,  Lynchburg,  Virginia. 

Dear  Sir:  Permit  me  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  an  invi- 
tation from  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


5i 


College  to  be  present  at  the  inauguration  of  Dr.  William  A.  Webb 
as  President  of  the  College  on  June  1,  1914.  As  that  date  falls 
in  commencement  week  of  the  University  of  Missouri  it  will  not 
be  possible  for  me  to  attend  nor  for  me  to  send  any  member  of 
the  faculty,  for  we  are  this  year  celebrating  the  seventy-fifth 
anniversary  of  the  University  of  Missouri  at  commencement 
time. 

While  declining  your  kind  invitation  with  regret  I wish  to 
extend  both  personally  and  on  behalf  of  the  University  of  Mis- 
souri our  warm  congratulations  on  the  good  fortune  of  Randolph- 
Macon  College  in  being  able  to  install  as  President  so  fine  a 
scholar,  educator  and  character  as  Dr.  William  A.  Webb.  He 
rendered  very  unusual  services  to  the  State  of  Missouri  in  his 
work  as  President  of  Central  College,  and  it  is  our  hope  and 
belief  that  his  administration  of  Randolph-Macon  College  will 
bring  satisfaction  to  the  College  and  the  friends  of  education 
generally. 

With  best  wishes  for  the  College  and  President  Webb,  I have 
the  honor  to  be 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

A.  Ross  Hill. 


The  University 
Aberdeen 


May  23. 


Dear  Mr.  Webb:  The  official  invitation  to  your  inauguration 
as  President  of  Randolph-Macon  College  on  June  1st,  and  your 
own  cordial  letter  have  reached  me  only  today.  You  will  there- 
fore understand  how  impossible  it  is  for  me  to  be  present. 

I send  you  my  warm  wishes  for  a long  and  happy  occupancy 
of  your  new  post.  Every  prosperity  attend  you  and  the  College. 


Yours  sincerely, 

George  Adam  Smith. 


Greetings  From  the  Faculty 

Dean  N.  A.  Pattillo,  Ph.  D. 

Mr.  President — our  President — in  behalf  of  the  Faculty  of 
this  College  I congratulate  you  on  the  unusual  opportunity  for 
service  placed  before  you  by  your  acceptance  of  this  trust.  I 
know  of  your  optimism  and  high  hopes  for  the  future  of  this 
institution.  Though  the  President  of  a college  may  plan  great 
things  and  have  lofty  purposes,  these  may  avail  but  little  without 
the  hearty  co-operation  of  the  teaching  staff. 

A large  measure  of  the  past  success  of  the  College  was  due 
probably  to  the  relation  which  exists  here  between  Faculty  and 
students,  service  being  the  dominant  idea.  Guided  by  the  wise 
leader  who  founded  the  College,  there  has  been  here  a personal 
interest  in  each  student,  a sympathy  in  her  difficulties,  and  a joy 
in  her  successes.  Possibly  to  this  is  due  somewhat  the  unusual 
college  spirit  and  the  intense  loyalty  and  devotion  of  students 
and  alumnae,  one  of  the  most  valuable  assets  of  any  institution 
of  learning. 

But  we  cannot  live  in  the  past,  however  praiseworthy  that  may 
have  been.  If  the  contemplation  of  the  past  stimulates  us  to  our 
best  efforts,  it  is  a profitable  reflection;  if  it  causes  inactivity,  the 
result  may  be  fatal. 

Only  by  co-operation  of  Faculty  and  students  in  doing  good 
work  according  to  the  highest  standards  can  any  college  attain 
the  greatest  success.  I trust  it  may  ever  be  our  ideal  to  inspire 
with  such  enthusiasm  each  student  who  enters  here  that  she  may 
make  the  best  possible  use  of  all  her  opportunities  and  talents, 
that  she  may  be  helped  to  form  that  steadfastness  of  purpose 
which  would  enable  her  to  see  the  invisible,  to  do  the  impossible, 
and  to  hear  the  voice  of  Him  who  spoke  as  never  man  spake. 

Mr.  President,  we  rejoice  in  being  co-laborers  with  you  in  this 
high  and  divine  calling,  in  helping  to  bring  Christian  womanhood 
to  the  highest  enjoyment. 


From  the  Alumnae 


Miss  Nellie  V.  Powell,  A.  M., 

President  of  the  Lynchburg  Chapter. 

Mr.  President,  as  the  representative  of  the  Alumnae  of  Ran- 
dolph-Macon  Woman’s  College,  as  one  of  the  old  girls,  I bring 
you  greetings  and  a message.  Our  greetings  are  saturated  with 
loyalty  and  vitalized  with  hope  and  confidence.  Our  message 
concerns  the  “eternal  feminine,”  and  the  relation  of  College  edu 
cation  to  the  present  ideals  of  womanhood. 

The  (‘Ewig  Weibliche ” is  to  us  no  crystallized  idea,  no  fossil  in 
an  outworn  shell ; but  a living  conception  ever  varying  to  meet 
the  needs  of  a changing  world. 

The  only  constant  in  the  eternal  womanhood  is  an  immediate 
quality  of  the  soul,  which  is  the  power  to  perceive  truth  in  the 
personal  relations  and  to  live  it  with  unfaltering  fidelity.  To 
this  soul  quality  the  modern  world  has  added  the  element  of  free- 
dom, the  need  on  the  part  of  women  for  a positive  self-realiza- 
tion through  action,  through  glorified  service  for  humanity. 

We  believe,  as  did  that  very  womanly  woman,  Alice  Freeman 
Palmer,  that  our  chief  concern  should  be  to  put  aside  artificial 
limitations,  to  make  ourselves  fit  for  the  larger  usefulness  to  the 
state  and  to  the  country.  For  such  equipment,  Mr.  President, 
we  turn  primarily  to  our  colleges.  Lest  we  take  advantage  of 
freedom  to  live  idle  and  frivolous  lives,  lest  our  passion  for  social 
service  dissipate  itself  in  the  shallows  of  a sentimental  cocksure- 
ness, give  our  young  women  harmonious  and  full  development. 
Train  them  to  be  efficient  and  resourceful,  give  them  a sense  of 
values,  enable  them  to  realize  the  potentiality  of  the  human  spirit, 
and  to  live  in  the  presence  of  the  great  realities  of  life. 


From  the  Students 


Miss  Luella  Hefley 
President  of  the  Student  Committee. 

Dr.  Webb,  I can’t  claim  the  honor  of  bringing  greetings  from 
a distant  university  or  college,  but  just  as  a member  of  your  own 
student  body  of  Randolph-Macon,  on  behalf  of  all  the  other 
members  of  the  student  body,  I want  to  welcome  you  as  our  new 
President. 

We  have  been  closely  associated  with  you  for  these  past  nine 
months,  and  have  this  advantage  over  the  other  universities  or 
colleges  that  have  greeted  you;  for  we  can  speak  from  experience 
of  what  you  are  to  us. 

When  you  first  came  last  fall,  you  made  the  remark  that  you 
were  accustomed  to  boys,  but  would  have  to  learn  the  ways  of 
girls,  and  for  us  to  be  patient.  We  have  found  that  you  under- 
stand us  too. 

The  educational  world  needs  you,  the  College  Trustees,  Faculty 
and  Alumnae  need  you,  but  we  have  the  biggest  need  of  all.  We 
have  a place  which  no  one  else  can  fill — we  welcome  you  to  that 
place.  We  are  proud  of  you  as  President  of  our  College,  honor 
you  as  President  of  the  Faculty,  but  we  love  you  as  friend  of  the 
Student  Body. 

And  so,  with  this  greeting  which  I bring  you  this  morning, 
won’t  you  accept  the  pride,  honor,  and  the  love  which  comes  from 
your  own  girls,  the  Students? 


Benediction  by  Rev.  W.  T.  Palmer,  D.  D. 


Banquet  at  the  Virginian  Hotel 

6:30  to  8:30  P.  M. 

Mr.  Edward  F.  Sheffey,  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee, 

Toastmaster. 

The  first  person  that  I would  present  to  you  tonight  is  a former 
citizen  of  Lynchburg  and  a friend  of  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s 
College,  Dr.  J.  D.  M.  Armistead,  Professor  of  English,  Agnes 
Scott  College. 

Professor  J.  D.  M.  Armistead 

Mr.  President,  ladies  and  gentlemen.  A friend  of  mine  was 
placed  in  the  same  position  that  I am  placed  in  tonight,  without 
even  ten  seconds  notice.  This  friend  of  mind,  an  artist,  was  en- 
gaged to  paint  a picture  of  Daniel  in  the  lions’  den.  He  painted 
the  group,  and  when  he  finished  the  picture  the  lions  were  all 
right,  the  setting  very  fine — all  was  good  except  Daniel,  who  had 
a broad  grin  on  his  face,  and  the  artist  was  asked  why  Daniel 
looked  so  hilarious  ? He  replied  that  was  because  he  knew  there 
would  be  no  after-dinner  speeches. 

I am  peculiarly  grateful  for  this  opportunity,  however,  of 
extending  to  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College  the  congratula- 
tions of  Agnes  Scott  College  upon  this  notable  occasion,  when  you 
are  formally  inducting  into  office  the  distinguished  President  who 
has  already  served  the  College  with  such  marked  success  as 
leaves  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  his  future  achievement. 

Personally,  I have  known  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College 
since  the  first  brick  was  laid,  and  as  a native  Virginian  I have 
followed  always  with  the  keenest  interest  and  pride  its  wonder- 
ful growth  and  its  successive  educational  triumphs  throughout 
the  past  twenty  years  and  more. 

But  it  is  not  only  as  a loyal  Virginian  that  I have  watched  the 
advance  of  Randolph-Macon.  All  of  us  who  are  interested  in 
educational  work  in  the  South  owe  a very  real  debt  to  this  Col- 
lege. There  is  surely  no  Southern  college  for  women  which  has 
not  profited  by  the  fight  that  Ranodlph-Macon  has  made  and 


56 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


won  for  higher  education.  And  I believe  that  no  other  institu- 
tion realizes  this  so  clearly  as  does  Agnes  Scott  College. 

As  I listened  this  morning  to  the  very  able  address  of  Presi- 
dent Webb,  I was  especially  impressed  with  the  fact  that  your 
educational  aims  are  one  with  ours,  and  that  our  problems  are 
therefore  essentially  the  same.  No  other  institution  in  the  South 
knows  so  well  as  does  Agnes  Scott  the  meaning  of  the  battle  this 
College  has  waged  for  standards,  and  no  other  institution  has 
received  from  you  a greater  inspiration.  On  more  than  one 
occasion  when  we  have  been  face  to  face  with  problems  seemingly 
past  solution,  has  the  remark  been  made : “Randolph-Macon  has 
done  this,  and  so  may  we,”  and  with  renewed  faith  and  courage 
we  have  pressed  forward. 

And  so,  Mr.  Toastmaster,  I bring  to  you  the  greeting  of  Agnes 
Scott  College,  with  a very  special  significance.  And  I pledge  to 
you,  President  Webb,  the  hearty  sympathy  and  earnest  co-opera- 
tion of  Agnes  Scott  in  all  your  efforts  for  the  future.  Agnes 
Scott  wishes  you  God-speed,  and  has  the  utmost  faith  in  the  con- 
tinued success  of  Randolph-Macon  in  the  great  struggle  in  which 
we  too  are  engaged,  the  holding  up  of  true  collegiate  standards 
before  the  young  women  of  the  South. 

Toastmaster:  Randolph-Macon  College  has  been  glad  to  be 
an  inspiration  to  Agnes  Scott  College. 

Now,  we  turn  from  the  sunny  South  to  that  pioneer  of  educa- 
tion, Vassar  College,  which  is  represented  by  Miss  Marian  P. 
Whitney,  Professor  of  German  at  Vassar  College. 

Professor  Marian  P.  Whitney 

It  is  quite  impossible  for  me  in  the  five  minutes  alloted  me  to 
express  the  smallest  part  of  the  interest  and  good-will  which  I 
have  always  felt  for  Randolph-Macon  College,  and  of  the  pleas- 
ure that  I have  had  in  being  allowed  to  share  in  today’s  most 
interesting  exercises.  I am  here  as  the  representative  of  the 
Faculty  of  Vassar  College,  to  bring  you  their  congratulations  as 
you  enter  upon  this  new  phase  of  your  history  and  development, 
to  assure  you  of  their  respect  for  what  you  have  already  done  for 
the  education  of  women  in  the  South,  and  of  their  continued 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College  57 

interest  and  sympathy  for  what  you  are  doing  and  planning  to  do 
in  that  great  field  where  we  are  all  working  together. 

The  bonds  between  Vassar  and  the  South  have  always  been 
close.  From  the  time  that  she  opened  her  doors  as  the  first  insti- 
tution which  ever  tried  to  offer  to  women  educational  opportuni- 
ties and  to  maintain  for  them  educational  standards  fully  equal  to 
those  of  the  best  colleges  for  men,  Southern  women  have  been 
found  eager  to  take  advantage  of  these  opportunities,  and  also 
to  meet  these  standards.  All  through  the  South  our  graduates 
are  proving  by  their  work  in  school  and  college,  in  social  and 
civic  life,  in  business  and  in  the  home,  the  value  of  what  Vassar 
has  given  them  and  are  helping  to  knit  more  closely  the  ties  which 
bind  together  these  two  great  sections  of  our  country. 

And  now  I should  like  to  give  you  a message  from  Vassar,  a 
bit  of  the  experience  that  fifty  years  of  work  in  the  higher  educa- 
tion of  women  has  brought  her,  and  which  may  help  you  in  your 
work  here.  In  all  the  addresses  this  morning  full  as  they  were  of 
pride  in  the  past  of  Randolph-Macon,  of  hope  for  its  future  and 
for  the  future  of  all  women’s  colleges  of  the  South,  there  was 
apparent  a slight  note  of  anxiety,  of  fear  lest  in  fully  cultivat- 
ing the  minds  of  your  Southern  girls,  you  should  endanger  those 
virtues  and  graces  which  are  theirs  by  nature,  lest  in  becoming 
wise  they  should  cease  to  be  womanly.  We  heard  this  morning 
much  of  the  fine  and  noble  qualities  of  your  first  President,  much 
that  interested  and  impressed  me  greatly.  I am  sure  he  was  a 
wise  and  good  man  and  that  the  College  and  the  student  body  owe 
to  him  more  than  can  ever  be  expressed  in  words.  But  when  one 
of  the  speakers  informs  us  that  it  was  owing  to  the  watchful  care 
and  guidance  of  President  Smith,  to  the  manner  in  which  he  di- 
rected their  steps  to  certain  paths  and  barred  them  from  others, 
that  the  students  of  your  College  have  remained  womanly,  then  I 
must  say  frankly  that  I do  not  believe  it.  I do  not  believe  that 
any  man  can  teach  any  woman  to  be  womanly ! He  may  help  to 
train  and  to  enrich  her  mind,  to  make  her  wiser  and  more  intelli- 
gent, but  he  must  leave  to  Nature  and  to  her  own  instincts  the  task 
of  keeping  her  womanly.  And  he  may  safely  do  so.  This  is  what 
Vassar  has  learned  through  fifty  years  of  experience,  for  in  our 
early  days  we  too  were  troubled  by  the  fears  that  still  beset  you. 


58 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


But  we  now  know  that  they  were  unnecessary.  We  do  not  feed 
our  daughters  on  cake  to  keep  them  sweet,  or  our  sons  on  wolf’s 
flesh  to  make  them  brave,  though  I believe  that  the  latter  method 
has  been  tried  among  certain  peoples;  we  set  before  all  our  chil- 
dren the  best  and  most  nourishing  food  that  we  can  provide,  and 
we  know  that  each  will  draw  from  it  what  he  needs  for  strength 
and  growth,  and  that  all  the  girls  will  still  become  women,  and  all 
the  boys  men.  So  do  not  be  afraid  to  set  before  your  students 
the  ripest  fruits  of  learning,  the  highest  truths  of  science,  the 
deepest  problems  of  life  and  of  humanity.  Trust  them,  and  believe 
that,  if  you  give  them  the  best  that  is  in  you,  they  will  make  of  it 
the  best  use  they  can.  Your  Southern  girls  will  remain  womanly 
however  strong  and  wise  they  may  become.  So  give  them  not 
only  your  care  and  devotion  but  your  full  confidence  and  remem- 
ber that  not  what  men  think  women  ought  to  do,  but  what  the 
noblest  and  wisest  women  do  is  womanly. 

Miss  Emma  Lear,  President  of  the  Alumnae  Society 

Mr.  Toastmaster,  our  President,  and  friends:  As  I come 
before  you  tonight  on  behalf  of  the  Alumnae  of  Randolph-Macon 
Woman’s  College,  to  speak  on  the  subject  of  alumnae  loyalty,  I 
feel  very  much  like  the  little  boy,  who,  being  allowed  the  privi- 
lege of  selecting  the  subject  for  his  composition,  modestly  chose 
as  his  topic,  “The  Universe;”  and  who,  when  advised  by  the 
teacher  that  such  a subject  needed  to  be  limited,  very  grudgingly 
conceded  that  he’d  change  it  to  “The  World  and  all  that  in  it  is.” 
That’s  alumnae  loyalty.  It  can  mean  so  much. 

We  are  learning  this  year  that  there  are  many  things  we  can 
do  for  our  Alma  Mater.  We  know  that  there  are  more  we  can  do 
for  the  world  because  of  our  Alma  Mater.  Surely  we  have  re- 
ceived much  and  surely  we  shall  not  be  loyal  daughters  unless 
we  give  much.  There  is  work  to  be  done.  “The  world  voice 
calls : we  hear,  we  heed,”  and  with  hands  outstretched  in  loving 
service  “we  follow  on.” 

But  alumnae  loyalty  means  more  than  this.  To  us,  the  children 
of  yesterday,  it  means  as  we  return  once  more  to  our  mother 
College,  that  we  come  with  tears  and  hearts  bowed  down  with 
grief  for  the  friend  we  find  no  more.  It  means  that  we  come 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


59 


with  a smile  of  greeting  and  a hand  clasp  for  our  new  President, 
in  pledge  of  our  allegiance  to  his  administration  just  begun.  It 
means,  dear  Faculty,  that  now  at  last,  we  come  to  do  you  the 
honor  that  is  your  due.  We  acknowledge  your  wise  guidance; 
we  thank  you  for  your  inspiration  and  for  the  ideals  you  ever 
held  before  us.  And  yes,  now,  we’re  even  grateful  for  the  mid- 
night oil  you  burned  for  us ; for  all  the  red  ink  you  spilled  over 
us;  and  for  those  times  when  it  seemed  you  would  have  annihi- 
lated us — but  didn’t.  It  means  that  as  we  come  once  more  under 
the  shelter  of  our  loving  mother,  that  we’ve  come  for  renewed 
strength,  higher  ideals,  greater  inspiration,  yes,  and  for  the  joy 
of  seeing  the  old  friends  and  of  reviewing  college  days  too;  but 
most  of  all,  it  means  that  we  have  come  because  we  want  to  be 
here,  we  can’t  help  it,  we  love  it  all. 

So  much  does  alumnae  loyalty  mean : the  service  of  Martha,  the 
love  of  Mary;  but  more  than  either  of  these,  the  life  of  Him 
who  was  Master  of  both  Martha  and  Mary. 

Our  Alma  Mater  has  showered  rich  gifts  upon  us,  and  we  have 
a debt  of  gratitude  to  pay.  But  she  asks  no  return  to  herself  for 
all  she  has  bestowed.  We  are  her  products;  we  are  her  children, 
and  it  is  enough  if  our  lives  are  the  richer,  the  fuller  for  having 
come  in  contact  with  her.  But  we  acknowledge  the  debt;  we 
would  be  worthy  of  this  mother  of  ours,  and  as  we  wish  to  pay  in 
the  largest  manner,  I know  no  better  way  of  expressing  it  than 
in  the  words  I quote:  “Small  souls  show  their  gratitude  by 
what  they  do;  large  souls  by  what  they  are 

And  so,  tonight,  as  each  of  you  present  holds  some  Alma 
Mater  dear,  as  through  your  lives  you  still  feel  the  strength  of 
her  inspiration,  and  deep  in  your  hearts  you  feel  and  would  repay 
the  debt  you  owe,  I ask  you,  with  the  memory  of  that  Alma 
Mater  of  yours  fresh  before  you,  to  pledge  with  me  “Alumnae 
Loyalty.” 


The  next  speaker  was  Professor  R.  H.  Hudnall,  Ph.  D.,  of 
Virginia  Polytechnic  Institute,  of  Virginia.  Professor  Hudnall 
was  a class-mate  of  President  Webb’s  at  the  University  of 
Leipsic,  and  spoke  in  a very  intimate  and  affectionate  way  of 


6o 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


their  friendship  and  of  his  high  regard  for  President  Webb’s 
qualifications  for  the  position  to  which  he  had  been  called.  At 
the  special  request  of  the  President  and  with  the  consent  of  Dr. 
Hudnall  the  stenographic  report  of  his  address  is  omitted. 


Rev.  Ritchie  Ware, 

Representing  Virginia  Christian  College,  and  Speaking  for  the 
Ministers  of  the  City. 

Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  always  quite  embarrassing  to  me  to  speak 
to  the  girls  at  the  Woman’s  College.  I remember  the  first  time 
I ever  went  there.  I had  prepared  several  good  jokes,  but  the 
occasion  was  such  a solemn  one,  and  I didn’t  know  Dr.  Smith 
as  well  then  as  I knew  him  afterwards,  and  so  I did  not  tell  my 
jokes.  But  I have  since  learned  that  there  is  a great  deal  of 
humanity  in  the  girls  of  that  College. 

As  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Virginia  Chris- 
tian College,  I want  to  bear  greetings  to  the  Randolph-Macon 
College.  We  hold  you  as  an  ideal,  and  I trust  that  as  the  years 
come  and  go,  on  the  other  side  of  the  City  of  Lynchburg  there 
may  be  another  institution  whose  fame  may  be  as  great  as  our 
well  beloved  Randolph-Macon. 

On  behalf  of  the  ministers  of  Lynchburg  I want  to  say  that 
there  is  nothing  of  which  we  are  more  proud  when  we  go  away 
than  to  say  that  we  have  a college  second  to  none.  And  I trust 
that  it  may  be  the  pleasure  of  the  citizens  of  Lynchburg  in  the 
future,  as  in  the  past,  to  help  and  co-operate  in  every  way  to 
make  the  city  loyal  to  the  institution,  for  there  will  be  in  the 
coming  years,  as  in  the  past,  no  greater  asset  to  this  municipality 
than  the  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College. 

Dr.  Harry  D.  Campbell, 

Dean  of  Washington  and  Lee  University,  and  Representative  of 
the  University  of  Pittsburgh. 

I shall  have  to  introduce  myself  to  this  audience  in  order  to 
explain  the  tenor  of  my  remarks.  I have  never  occupied  a pro- 
fessor’s chair  but,  according  to  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  I 
have  occupied  a settee.  It  would  seem  to  make  little  difference 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


6i 


as  to  the  title  just  so  it  is  long  enough.  Upon  a recent  Com- 
mencement occasion  I was  introduced  as  Dean  and  Professor  of 
Geology  and  Biology  of  Washington  and  Lee  University;  but  in 
the  newspapers  next  day  I appeared  as  Dean  and  Professor  of 
Sociology  and  Biography. 

The  significance  of  my  connection  with  “Biography”  has  oc- 
curred to  me  for  the  first  time  tonight.  Leave  of  absence  is 
granted  to  students  from  my  office,  and  they  are  expected  to 
state  on  their  application  cards  the  reasons  for  wanting  to  leave 
town.  I wonder  if  you  have  any  idea  of  the  number  of  sisters  or 
cousins  or  friends  these  cards  indicate  that  the  Washington  and 
Lee  boys  have  at  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College?  As  I 
came  out  from  luncheon  today  I recognized  under  the  trees  on 
the  lawn  two  of  Washington  and  Lee’s  best  students  enjoying  the 
companionship  of  two  of  Randolph-Macon’s  sympathetic  kindred 
souls.  I want  to  say  in  this  connection  that  in  the  opinion  of  our 
students  a collegiate  education  does  not  detract  from  the  womanly 
charms  of  the  girls  of  Randolph-Macon. 

President  Smith  asked  me  several  days  ago  whether  I knew 
anybody  at  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s  College.  I said : “There 
is  scarcely  anybody  there  I don’t  know;  the  professors  at  Ran- 
dolph-Macon are  known  all  over  the  State,  and  many  of  them  all 
over  the  Country.”  He  said,  “Would  you  mind  going  down  there 
and  representing  me?  I can’t  go.”  I said:  “I  shall  be  glad  to 
go  if  I don’t  have  to  make  a speech.”  He  replied : “Oh,  you 
won’t  have  to  make  a speech.  They  invited  me  because  I am 
from  North  Carolina.” 

It  rather  seems  to  me  that  it  is  the  day  of  the  North  Caro- 
linian. But  it  takes  Virginians  to  recognize  the  true  worth  of 
North  Carolinians;  Virginians  called  Dr.  Alderman  to  the 
State  University ; Dr.  Barringer  to  V.  P.  I. ; Dr.  Smith  to 
Washington  and  Lee,  and  Dr.  Webb  to  Randolph-Macon 
Woman’s  College.  Nothing  has  been  said  today  about  Dr. 
Webb’s  being  a North  Carolinian.  One  speaker  told  of  his  com- 
ing from  Missouri,  another  claimed  him  for  Tennessee,  but  in 
my  role  as  Professor  of  Biography,  I declare  that  he  is  a native 
of  North  Carolina.  As  a Virginian  I have  the  pleasure  of  bear- 
ing greetings  and  welcome  in  the  name  of  President  Smith  and 


62 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


the  Faculty  of  Washington  and  Lee  to  the  North  Carolinian 
President  W.  A.  Webb. 

I have  also  the  honor  of  bearing  the  personal  greetings  to  the 
incoming  president  from  Chancellor  S.  B.  McCormick  of  the 
University  of  Pittsburgh. 


Miss  Laura  Drake  Gill,  D.  C.  L., 

President  of  the  Proposed  College  for  Women 
University  of  the  South. 

Mr.  President,  and  Friends  of  Randolph-Macon  College  for 
Women:  They  tell  the  story  of  an  old  professor  at  Andover 
Theological  Seminary  who  gave  permission  for  any  special  priv- 
ilege to  the  students  some  sixty  years  ago.  One  day  a young  man 
appeared  before  him  asking  authority  for  driving  seven  miles 
on  the  following  Sunday  to  and  from  a town  in  which  he  was 
to  preach.  For  some  reason  the  usual  procedure  of  going  on  Sat- 
urday and  returning  on  Monday  was  impracticable. 

The  old  man  was  satisfied  after  prolonged  questioning  that  it 
was  a necessary  violation  of  Sabbath  customs,  and  gave  his  con- 
sent in  these  cautious  terms:  “Yes,  yes,  drive,  drive,  since  you 
must.  But  drive  gently.  Drive  gently.” 

In  the  very  few  moments  allowed  me  to-night,  I wish  to  plead 
for  a different  tenor  in  the  permission  so  recently  given  to  women 
for  a fuller  education.  The  world  recognizes  evidently  that  the 
freedom  for  intellectual  development  must  be  given;  but  it  is  too 
often  given  in  the  deprecatory  and  cautious  way  of  the  old 
professor. 

I beg  that  this  new  freedom  be  given  unreservedly  and  in  full 
faith  that  women  will  make  of  it  a finer  avenue  of  service. 

Of  course  individual  women  may  turn  their  liberty  into  license 
during  the  first  flush  of  eagerness.  But  that  will  be  in  small  per- 
centage to  the  wise  use  by  the  many  of  larger  privilege,  and  even 
that  will  decrease  rapidly. 

So  I beg  for  a full  faith  in  women’s  wisdom  to  use  their  new 
powers,  and  for  such  a cordial  blessing  upon  their  way  as  your 
new  President  seems  ready  to  extend. 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


63 


Mr.  President,  and  friends  of  Randolph-Macon  College,  I con- 
gratulate you  heartily  upon  the  high  attainment  of  the  past,  and 
wish  for  you  yet  better  things  in  the  years  to  come. 


Delegates  from  Other  Institutions 


WESLEYAN  UNIVERSITY 

Bishop  E.  R.  Hendrix,  A.  B.,  LL.  D. 

Alumnus. 

PRINCETON  UNIVERSITY 

Bishop  Collins  Denny,  A.  M.,  LL.  D. 

Alumnus. 

VASSAR  COLLEGE 

Miss  Marian  P.  Whitney,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  German. 

HARVARD  UNIVERSITY 

William  Marshall  Black,  M.  A. 

Principal  of  the  Lynchburg  High  School. 

NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY 

Lydia  Howell  La  Baum,  M.  D. 

Alumna. 

MOUNT  HOLYOKE  COLLEGE 
Miss  Margaret  Booth 

WELLESLEY  COLLEGE 

Miss  Katherine  Pryor  Terry,  B.  A. 

Alumna. 

JOHNS  HOPKINS  UNIVERSITY 

John  H.  Latane,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Professor  of  American  History  and  Director  of 
Department  of  History. 

GEORGE  PEABODY  COLLEGE  FOR  TEACHERS 
Bruce  R.  Payne,  M.  A.,  Ph.  D. 

President. 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 

Miss  Virginia  C.  Gildersleeve,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D. 

Dean  of  Barnard  College. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  PITTSBURGH 

Harry  D.  Campbell,  Ph.  D.,  Sc.  D. 

Professor  of  Geology,  Washington  and  Lee  University. 


6 4 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


WESTERN  RESERVE  UNIVERSITY 
G.  G.  Laubscher,  A.  B.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  Romance  Languages,  Randolph-Macon  Woman’s 
College. 

OHIO  WESLEYAN  UNIVERSITY 

Mrs.  Bertha  Robinson  Ramsey,  B.  A. 

Alumna. 

HAMPDEN-SIDNEY  COLLEGE 
Don  P.  Halsey,  A.  B. 

Alumnus. 

WASHINGTON  AND  LEE  UNIVERSITY 
Harry  D.  Campbell,  Ph.  D.,  Sc.  D. 

Dean. 

TRINITY  COLLEGE 

W.  P.  Few,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D. 

President. 

RICHMOND  COLLEGE 

D.  R.  Anderson,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  History  and  Political  Science. 

R.  C.  Stearnes,  M.  A. 

State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction. 

HOLLINS  COLLEGE 

A.  V.  Bishop,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D.. 

Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek. 

UNION  COLLEGE 

William  S.  Royall,  B.  A. 

Alumnus. 

CENTRAL  COLLEGE 

Robert  T.  Kerlin,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  English,  Virginia  Military  Institute. 

ROANOKE  COLLEGE 

John  Alfred  Morehead,  A.  M.,  D.  D. 

President. 

RANDOLPH-MACON  COLLEGE 

Robert  E.  Blackwell,  A.  M.,  LL.  D. 

President. 

AGNES  SCOTT  COLLEGE 

J.  D.  M.  Armistead,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  English. 

GREENSBORO  COLLEGE  FOR  WOMEN 

S.  B.  Turrentine,  A.  M.,  D.  D. 

President. 


Randolph-Macon  Woman's  College 


65 


DAVENPORT  COLLEGE  FOR  YOUNG  WOMEN 
J.  B.  Craven 
President. 

SOUTHERN  SEMINARY 
E.  H.  Rowe,  D.  D. 

Principal. 

ST.  JOHN’S  COLLEGE  (Annapolis) 

Charles  G.  Eidson,  B.  S.,  E.E.,  M.  A. 

Professor  of  Physics  and  Drawing. 

Rev.  F.  J.  Prettyman,  A.  B.,  D.  D. 

Chaplain  United  States  Senate. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  THE  SOUTH 

Miss  Laura  Drake  Gill,  A.  M.,  D.  C.  L. 

President  of  the  proposed  College  for  Women. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  VIRGINIA 

William  Mentzel  Forrest,  B.  A. 

Professor  of  Biblical  Literature. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  OKLAHOMA 

Frank  Nathaniel  Bacon,  B.  A. 

Alumnus. 

RUTGERS  COLLEGE 

Horace  Sterling  Hawes,  A.  B. 

Alumnus. 

NEW  YORK  UNIVERSITY 

William  Spencer  Currell,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  English,  Washington  and  Lee  University. 

MIDDLEBURY  COLLEGE 

Eugene  C.  Bingham,  B.  A.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  Chemistry,  Richmond  College. 

VANDERBILT  UNIVERSITY 

H.  M.  Henry,  M.  A.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  in  Emory  and  Henry  College. 

CLARK  COLLEGE 

Haven  D.  Brackett,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  Greek. 

EARLHAM  COLLEGE 

Miss  H.  Louise  Osborne 
Dean  of  Guilford  College. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  MARYLAND 

Charles  G.  Eidson,  B.  S.,  E.  E.,  M.  A. 

Professor  of  Physics  and  Drawing,  St.  John’s  College. 


66 


Inauguration  of  the  President 


UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 

Albert  Lefevre,  Ph.  D.,  LL.  D. 

Professor  of  Philosophy,  University  of  Virginia. 

VIRGINIA  POLYTECHNIC  INSTITUTE 
R.  H.  Hudnall,  M.  A.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  English. 

EMORY  AND  HENRY  COLLEGE 
A.  G.  Sanders,  B.  A. 

Professor  of  Greek. 

VIRGINIA  MILITARY  INSTITUTE 

Robert  T.  Kerlin,  A.  M.,  Ph.  D. 

Professor  of  English. 

WEBB  SCHOOL 

Former  Senator  W.  R.  Webb,  A.  M. 

Principal. 

PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  CONCORD,  N.  C. 

A.  S.  Webb,  A.  B. 

Superintendent. 

RANDOLPH-MACON  ACADEMY 
E.  Sumter  Smith 
Principal. 

FERRUM  TRAINING  SCHOOL 

Rev.  B.  M.  Beckham,  A.  M. 

Principal. 

PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  LYNCHBURG,  VA. 

E.  C.  Glass 
Superintendent. 


